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MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  HISTORY  AND  HABITS  OF 
of  the  characters  of  the  Otter,  the  Mole,  and  the  Beaver.  It  is  covered  by  a  fine  long  and 
thick  hair,  underneath  which  is  a  finer  short  very  soft  fur,  resembUng  the  two  distinct 
kinds  of  fur  found  in  the  Seal  and  Otter.  On  the  abdomen,  breast,  and  throat,  the  fur  and 
hair  are  of  a  much  finer  quaUty,  and  of  a  more  silky  nature,  than  on  the  other  parts  of 
the  body  of  the  animal.  In  young  specimens  the  under  surface  of  the  tail,  as  well  as 
the  hind  and  fore  legs  near  the  feet,  is  covered  by  a  fine  hair  of  a  beautiful  silvery  white 
appearance :  this  is  lost,  however,  in  the  adult,  in  which  the  under  surface  of  the  tail 
is  almost  entirely  destitute  of  hair  ^  Whether  this  proceeds  from  its  trailing  along  the 
ground  (which  the  close  approximation  of  the  abdomen  and  under  surface  of  the  tail  to 
the  ground  in  all  the  movements  of  the  animal  on  land  makes  very  probable,)  I  know 
not ;  but  the  most  prevailing  opinion  among  the  colonists,  for  which,  however,  in  the 
observation  of  their  habits,  I  could  not  discover  any  foundation  in  fact,  was  that  it  was 
occasioned  by  the  animals  using  the  tail,  in  a  manner  similar  to  that  which  was  for- 
merly believed  of  the  Beaver,  as  a  trowel  in  the  construction  of  its  dwelling.  The  tail 
is  flat,  broad,  and  inclining  on  each  side  abruptly  ofl"  at  the  termination,  beyond  which 
the  long  hairs  project :  on  its  upper  surface  the  hair  is  longer  and  coarser  than  on  any 
other  part  of  the  body ;  it  is  destitute  of  that  peculiar  glossy  appearance  which  adds 
so  much  to  the  beauty  of  the  fur  generally,  and  is  also  of  a  darker  colour.  The  colour 
of  the  fur  of  the  animal  in  all  the  specimens  I  have  seen,  of  whatever  age,  is  a  light  black, 
varying  in  shades  according  as  it  is  seen  in  a  stronger  or  weaker  light :  the  under 
short  fur  is  greyish.  The  whole  of  the  under  surface  of  the  body  is  of  a  ferruginous 
colour,  varying  in  its  intensity  according  to  the  age  of  the  specimen 2.  I  do  not  regard 
this  difference  as  any  distinguishing  mark  of  sex,  as  was  at  first  supposed.  Imme- 
diately below  the  inner  angle  of  the  eye  is  a  small  spot  of  a  light  or  pale  yellow 
colour.  This  I  have  remarked  in  all  the  specimens  of  either  sex  that  I  have  seen,  ex- 
cepting in  one  which  was  captured  on  the  banks  of  the  Wollondilly  River  near  Goulburn 
Plains,  in  which  these  marks  were  deficient,  although  it  did  not  differ  in  other  external 
appearances  from  the  specimens  I  had  before  examined. 
The  only  external  difference  of  sex  to  be  accurately  distinguished,  and  indeed  the 
only  one  on  which  any  dependence  can  be  placed,  is  the  spur  or  claw  on  the  hind  leg 
of  the  males  ;  the  females  being  destitute  of  that  appendage. 
The  legs  of  these  animals  are  very  short ;  the  feet  are  pentadactyle  and  webbed.  In 
the  fore  feet  (which  seem  to  have  the  greatest  muscular  power,  and  are  in  principal  use 
both  for  burrowing  and  swimming,)  the  web  extends  a  short  distance  beyond  the  claws, 
is  loose,  and  falls  back  when  the  animal  burrows :  the  fore  feet  are  thus  capable  of 
'  The  under  surface  of  the  tail,  both  in  males  and  females,  is  sometimes  bare ;  and  sometimes  has  only  a 
few  coarse  hairs  scattered  over  it. 
I  have  heard  that  an  Albino  specimen  of  this  animal  was  once  seen ;  it  was  stated  to  have  been  close  to 
the  water's  edge  at  the  time  it  was  noticed,  and  to  have  been  perfectly  white.  On  the  approach  of  the  person 
who  observed  it,  it  dived,  and  although  watched  did  not  reappear. 
