28 STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



and expressive of the two. The natives of Australia have several 

 names for this remarkable animal ; some calling it Mallangong, 

 others Tambreet, and others Tohunbuck — the second of these 

 titles being most generally in use. 



On looking at a living Duckbill, few would set it down as an 

 excavator of the soil ; yet it is a burrower, and makes tunnels of 

 great length and some complexity. The soft broad membrane 

 that extends beyond the claws while the animal is walking or 

 swimming, and in the latter case forms a paddJe by which the 

 creature can propel itself swiftly through the water, falls back 

 when the foot is employed for digging, and aids the animal in 

 flinging back the soil which its claws have scraped away. The 

 round body is admirably adapted for traversing the burrows, 

 though the stuffed specimens which generally are seen in 

 museums give but little idea of such capability. As a general 

 rule, these stufifed specimens are much too long, too stiff, too 

 straight, too flat, and too shrivelled. During life, the body is 

 round, and the skin hangs in loose folds around it, having a very 

 curious aspect when the creature is walking upon the land. The 

 Duckbill is, in fact, so very odd a being, that dogs who see it for 

 the first time, as it scrambles along with its peculiar waddling 

 gait, will sit and prick up their ears, and bark at the strange 

 animal, but will not dare to meddle with it ; while cats fairly 

 turn tail, and scamper away from so uncanny a beast. The hair 

 with which the body is so densely covered is admirably suited 

 to an animal which passes its time in the water or underground. 

 Next the skin there is a thick close coating of woolly fur, through 

 which penetrates a second coat of long hairs, which are very 

 slender at their bases, and can therefore turn in any direction, 

 like those of the mole. The eyes are fuller and rounder than 

 might be expected in an animal that passes so much of its time 

 underground ; but they are defended from the earth by a re- 

 markable leathery flap, which surrounds the base of the man- 

 dibles, and looks very like the leathern guard of a foil. This 

 curious appendage has probably another use, and is intended to 

 prevent the bill from being thrust too deeply into the mud when 

 the animal is engaged in searching for food. 



