Quadrupeds. 6917 



would remain tranquil even when I touched or scratched her head or 

 back ; but the instant 1 touched the sensitive mandibles she would 

 either dip down partially or disappear altogether under water for a 

 short time. The male is evidently much more timid. I have only 

 once seen his body on the surface of the water ; and when taking him 

 out of the water and replacing him in his box, I found great difficulty 

 in capturing him. The female, being generally upon the surface, is 

 secured and placed in the box very easily, but the struggles of the 

 male are very great, and this makes it more difficult to take him every 

 time. The female paddles about on the surface, and occasionally 

 performs summersaults in the water ; the male sometimes comes up, 

 but dives rapidly down again. The female floats upon the water 

 without any apparent paddling, and remains in a sort of half-immersed 

 position for a great length of time, with the beak lying flat upon the 

 water. If any dust comes near the sensitive nostrils, a bubbling of 

 water is seen to issue from them, as if to drive away the irritating 

 substance; and, if this does not succeed, the beak is washed in the 

 water to remove it. 



January 1st, 1859. Both the animals this morning had a sleek, 

 healthy and lively appearance ; they did not require to be taken out 

 of the box to be placed in the tub of water, but ran in themselves as 

 soon as the lid of the box was opened. On entering the water they 

 turned and gamboled about, and then reclined on one side, scratching 

 themselves with the hind claws. They would permit me to touch 

 them without being disturbed ; indeed, they had become so tame as 

 to allow me to tickle and scratch them gently, and appeared to enjoy 

 it very much. They generally remained half-submerged in the water; 

 it is only when touching the sensitive mandibles that they would dive 

 down, but even then they would not remain long under water. Their 

 favourite position was half-submerged, with the mandibles resting down 

 upon the surface of the water. 



The female is languid and weak, but the male continues vigorous, 

 diving and swimming about. When in the water they play together, 

 occasionally tumbling one over the other, and then remain on the sur- 

 face of the water, gently combing their fur. No attempt was ever 

 made (even when he growled at being disturbed) by the male to injure 

 or even scratch with the spur. When I took the male out or disturbed 

 him at night, he growled, and afterwards made a peculiar shrill 

 whistling noise, as if a signal call to his companion. It is principally 

 in the evening and at night that these animals are in the habit of 

 coming out of their burrows to sport and feed both in the water and 



