£28 
PLATYPUS. 
Generic Character. 
Of anatinum. 
Pedes palmatL 
Mouth shaped like the bill of 
a duck. 
Feet webbed. 
Of this most extraordinary genus the first de- 
scription appeared in the Naturalist's Miscellany; 
but as the individual there described was the only 
one which had been seen> it was impossible not to 
entertain some distant doubts as to the genuine 
nature of the animal, and to surmise, that, though 
in appearance perfectly natural, there might still 
have been practised some arts of deception in its 
structure. I, therefore, hesitated as to admitting 
it into the present History of Quadrupeds. Two 
more specimens, however, having been very lately 
sent over from New Holland, by Governor Hun- 
ter, to Sir Joseph Banks, the suspicions before 
mentioned are now completely dissipated. I shall, 
therefore, here repeat my first description in the 
work above mentioned, and have only to observe, 
that the genus should be placed, as there pro- 
posed, next to that of Myrmecophaga, in the pre- 
sent order of Bnita, 
