26 ORNITHORYNCHUS PARADOXUS. 



V. 

 ORNITHORYNCHUS PARADOXUS. 



Common Ornithorynchas. 



Order Palmata, Blum. Edentata, Cuv. Tribe Mo- 



NOTREMA, Geoff. 



Gen. Char. — Incisors % ; canines o — % ; molars I — 4— 

 8. Molars fibrous, fixed only in the gum ; body 

 covered with hairs, anteriorly terminated by a broad, 

 depressed duck-like beak; legs four, pentadactyle, 

 palmated, with a spur on the hind ones in the male ; 

 anterior legs with the palmated membrane projecting 

 beyond the claws, which arc straight ; hinder legs 

 with acute curved claws, produced beyond the pal- 

 mate membrane. 



Spec. Char. Beak and legs black ; anterior claws 

 linear, obtuse ; far reddish-brown above, paler below ; 

 extreme length 23 inches. 



Orniiliorynchus fuscus •, Peron et Lcsseur, J'oy. Teras Auslr. Atlas, t. 34. Leach. 

 Zool. Miscel. ii. t. 111. Oinitlioryuclius Paradoxus J vnr.rufus ; Blumenbach, 

 Handbuch der Nalvrgeschichte,i>.\28; Id. Abbild. Nat. Hist. Gengcnst y tAl. 



This extraordinary animal, which unites the bill of a duck with 

 the limbs of a quadruped, has lately been discovered to be poi- 

 sonous, by means of a spur, which is attached to the hinder legs 

 of the male, and is capable of inflicting very dangerous, if not fatal, 

 wounds. The body is covered with a very thick soft fur, and is of 

 a dark brown colour above, and somewhat paler or ferruginous 

 beneath. The hair is of two sorts ; that which is found on most 

 parts of the body, particularly on the sides and abdomen, 

 is fine and silky, while the hair covering the tail is stronger, resem- 



