L 165 j 



THE DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS *. 



The mouth of this very singular creature exhibits 

 so great a reseDiblance to the beak of some of the 

 broad -billed species of Ducks, that it is not without 

 minute and accurate examination, that we can per- 

 suade ourselves of its being the real beak or snout of 

 a quadruped. 



The length of the animal, from the tip of the 

 beak to the end of the tail, is thirteen inches ; and of 

 this the beak occupies an inch and a half. The body 

 is depressed, and has some resemblance to that of 

 an Otter in miniat.ire ; it is covered with a very 

 thick, soft fur, of a moderately dark brown colour 

 above, and whitish beneath. The head is rather 

 small ; and the tail fiat, furry like the body, and 

 obtuse. The legs are very short, and terminate in 

 a broad web, which on the fore-feet extends to a 

 considerable distance beyond the claws. On the 

 fore-feet thei-e are five claws straight, strong, and 

 sharp-pointed ; and on the hind-feet six curved 

 claws ; the interior one seated much higherthan the 

 rest;, and resembling a strong sharp spur-}-. 



The speci.iiens of this animal hitherto sent to 

 Europe, have been deprived of their internal parts, 

 and are for tlie most part very ill preserved. Mr. 

 Home examined one belonging to Sir Joseph Banks, 



* Synonyms.— Platypus Anatinus. Uuck billed Platypus. S/i(iti\ 

 — Omithorhynchas paradoxus. Home. Bcu/uciiiac/i.- — -S/um-'s Gen. 

 Zoijl.pl. (id. Gr, 



t Shaw's Zool. i. ■230, 



Ma 



