LECTURE III. ^, 79 



in spirits, have exhibited the least appearance of 

 teats for suckling the young; nor is it easy to con- 

 ceive how the animal could perform the action of 

 sucking; since the mouth or snout bears the most 

 exact resemblance to the bill of a Duck, and par- 

 ticularly to that of the broad-billed Ducks called 

 Shovellers. This beak is surrounded at the base 

 b}' a circular flap or border, resembling leather, 

 and perfectly separating the base of the bill from 

 the fur of the head. There are no teeth of any 

 kind; and even the tubercles or processes, which 

 may be perceived by dissection, on each side the 

 base or back part of the beak, are not real teeth, 

 having no sockets, and not being of a really bony 

 nature. The tongue is situated very far back in 

 the mouth, and is broad and short: the fore-feet 

 are webbed, much more widely in proportion than 

 in any other web-footed quadruped, and are fur- 

 nished with five short, sharp, and strong claws : 

 the hind-feet are less deeply webbed, and have 

 also five claws, of a slightly curved form; besides 

 which, in the male animal is situated on each 

 foot a very strong and sharp crooked spur or 

 sixth claw, not ill resembling the spur of a 

 Cock: the body is of a broad, and sHghtly de- 



