324 



VENOMS 



much of its time in the water, and feeds upon woims and small 

 fishes. 



In the males the hind feet are armed with a spm', having an 

 oritice at the extremity. At the will of the animal, there is dis- 

 charged from this spur a venomous liquid secreted hy a gland, 

 which lies along the thigh, and is in communication with the spur 

 by means of a wide subcutaneous duct (Patrick Hill).' 



It has often been proved in Australia that this liquid, when 

 inoculated by the puncture of the spur, may give rise to oedema 

 and more or less intense general malaise. Interesting details with 

 reference to the effects produced by this secretion have been 

 published by C. J. Martin, in collaboration with Frank Tidswell." 



Fig. 125. — Ornithorliynclius ixiradoxus. (After Claus.) 



When a dose greater than 2 centigrammes of dry extract of the 

 venom of OnnthorJujncliu.'i is injected intravenously into the rabbit, 

 it produces phenomena of intoxication analogous to those observed 

 after inoculation with Vipekine venoms. Death supervenes in 

 from twenty-five to thirty minutes, and at the autopsy ha^moirhagic 

 patches are found beneath the endocardium of the left ventricle. 



This venom has been studied afresh in my laboratory by Noc, 



' " On tlie OrniJhrirliijiirliii.'i /m nidn,riin, itw Venonious Spuv anil General 

 Structure," Trrnis. Liiiii. Sac, 18^2, p. 622. 



- " Observations on the Femoral Gland of Ornitliorliynelnis and its Secretion ; " 

 Froc. Linn. Soc. Neiv South Wales, vol. ix., July, 1894. 



■' " Note sur la secretion veniuiense de VOryjillioyliiinihiispiinulo.ius," Coinjilcs 

 reriihis fJe la SociHc <lc l'ji«li«jic, Mareli 12, 1904. 



