THE DUCKBILI^ 29 



The wonderful duck-like mandibles into which the head is 

 prolonged are sadly misrepresented in the stuffed specimens 

 which we generally see, and are black, flat, stift", and shrivelled, 

 as if cut from shoeleather. No one would conceive, after in- 

 specting a dried specimen, how round, full and pouting were 

 once those black and wrinkled mandibles, and how delicately 

 they had been coloured while the animal retained life. Their 

 natural hue is rather curious, the outer surface of the upper 

 mandible being very dark grey, spotted profusely with black, 

 and its lower surface pale flesh- colour. In the lower mandible 

 the inner surface is flesh-coloured, and the outer surface pinky 

 white, sometimes nearly pure white. 



Having now glanced at the general form of the Duckbill as 

 it is in Hfe, and not as it is in museums, we will pass to the 

 habitation which it constructs. 



Being a peculiarly aquatic animal, the Duckbill always makes 

 its home in the bank of some stream, almost invariably at those 

 wider and stiller parts of the river, which are popularly called 

 ponds. There are always two entrances to the burrow, one 

 below the surface of the water, and the other above, so that the 

 animal may be able to regain its home either by diving, or by 

 slipping into the entrance which is above the surface. This 

 latter entrance is always hidden most carefully under over- 

 shadowing weeds and drooping plants, and is so carefully con- 

 cealed that the unaccustomed eyes of an European can very 

 seldom find it. 



When the grasses, &c. are put aside, there is seen a hole ot 

 moderate size, on the sides of which are imprinted the footmarks 

 of the animal. By the dampness and sharpness of these im- 

 pressions, the natives can form a tolerably accurate opinion 

 whether the creature is likely to be at home or not, as in the 

 former case, the footmarks which point upwards are fresher and 

 wetter than those which point downwards. While digging out 

 the Duckbill, they occasionally pull out a handful of the clay, 

 inspect the marks, and then fall to work afresh. From this hole 

 the burrow passes upwards, winding a sinuous course, and often 

 running to a considerable length. From twenty to thirty feet 



