■94 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. 



look for them. In their search they came upon a nest containing a 

 male and female, and, more valuable than all else, a very young 

 member of the family, which seemed as if it had been just hatched. 

 None of the aboriginals had seen such a specimen before, nor is 

 there an account of a white man having made a similar discovery. 

 On examination it was seen at once that there was no difficulty in 

 the way of the youngster. It was an inch to an inch and a half in 

 length, and while, of course, bearing the shape of its tribe, it had 

 precisely the appearance of a '• joey," being of the same colour, and 

 the bill-shaped beak perfectly soft as to allow it to attach itseK 

 closely to the maternal teat. Mr. Hagenauer had it preserved in a 

 small phial of spirits of wine, placed it in Professor M' Coy's 

 hands, and the scientific world of Melbourne will have an 

 opportunity of examining it. This discovery will, we suppose, 

 supply all the knowledge that has been hitherto wanting in 

 reference to the platypus. 



Mr. Hagenauer tells us that some years ago he sent the cele- 

 brated Professor Owen, of London, a large number of female 

 platypi preserved in spirits, the specimens filling a five gallon keg, 

 and although he has captured large numbers during the course of 

 years he never saw, nor heard of anyone who had seen, a new- 

 hatched specimen, although, of course, very young members of the 

 tribe were common enough. Their method of making their nest is 

 a very excellent one. The animals commence on the river bank 

 below water mark and drive several feet inland, in an upward 

 direction, so that the nest, which is made of grass, fern, etc., is 

 quite dry and above water level, while it is, at the same time, pretty 

 secure, and in this comfortable location the young one is kept uutQ 

 it can accompany its parents into the water. We understand that 

 there has always been a difficulty in keeping these animals in con- 

 finement, arising from the fact that they are always kept in water, 

 the fact that they live as much on land as in water being apparently 

 overlooked. — Gij)psland Mercuri/. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



At the last meeting of the club Mr. H. J. M'Cooey, of Dubbo, 

 New South Wales, an amateur naturalist of repute, and a member 

 of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, was electod a 

 member. 



In these times, when so much is written and talked about the 

 platypus and the echidna, it may be interesting to know that Mr. 

 M'Cooey has proved, to his own satisfaction, that the echidna, or 

 spiny ant-eater, carries her eggs about in her pouch till hatched by 



