162 MR. G. F. BENNETT ON ORNITHORHYNCHUS. _ [ Mar. 6, 
commence my investigations. After arriving at our destination we 
went to the creek, and found a very fine water-hole, where, during the 
winter, Platypi are said to be very numerous; so, after going in the 
water, we discovered many holes in the banks, which we surmised were 
very probably burrows of the Water-Mole. On the 27th I went down, 
accompanied by Mr. Blakiston, to the water-hole we had visited on 
the previous evening, which was bordered by rocks on one side, but on 
the other by a high sandy bank. I then found a burrow, which I 
thought would repay the trouble of excavating ; so I set steadily to 
work and gradually opened it up. The burrow was about four by 
three inches in size, running all the way upwards in a serpentine 
direction; and when I had got about five feet from the entrance, 
I came to a chamber on the right-hand side, twelve inches in 
length by six inches high, and eight inches in diameter. I thought 
at the time that I had arrived at the end of the burrow; but 
on probing further on my left, I found that it still ran on; so I 
continued to dig until I had got about five feet further, when I found 
another chamber similar in size to the first, my burrow still continu- 
ing to the left. I then proceeded with my digging, and did not 
reach the end until I had gone another ten feet, when to my surprise 
and delight I found a chamber measuring 18 inches by 10 inches, 
and 8 inches in diameter, which contained a nest formed of dried 
grass, reeds, and gum-leaves (Hucalypti), evidently, from their 
blackened appearance, taken from under the water. In the nest were 
two young Platypi, probably about a month old. In the nest they 
were rolled up in a ball, with the tail lying flat on the beak, or rolled 
up with the tail covering the head, and the beak resting on the stomach 
or on the back, and with the right paw resting on the tail coiled up. 
They were very fat and plump, but without fur, of a greyish colour, 
and had a velvety appearance when the sun was shining upon them. 
The young ones measured five inches from the head to the tail. 
Their eyes were not opened fully, which satisfied me that they had 
never been out of the nest. I was very much disappointed at not 
finding the mother with them, as, when putting my hand up the 
burrow after I had dug fifteen feet, 1 fancied I heard a kind of growl 
like that of a Koala; but I must have been mistaken, as I searched 
the place well on the following day to ascertain if there was any sign 
of an opening where she could have escaped. 
“¢On the 28th I brought the young ones home with me and left 
them on their nest in my room, when I observed that their favourite 
resting-position was lying on their backs, the beak resting on one of the 
fore feet, and the other stretched out. When handled they gave a shrill 
kind of hiss or whistle, resembling that of a young duck. I attempted 
to get them to suck, but without success. I used a feeding-bottle 
with a glove nipple made very small to suit the aperture of their 
throat. They were therefore three days without any food, but 
looked as well and as lively as on the day I took them from the 
nest ; but they soon perished, and I have preserved them in spirits to 
send to Sydney. 
«The sketch (fig. 1, p. 163) will give avery good idea of this burrow 
