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MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  HISTORY  AND  HABITS  OF 
often  escape  observation  ;  for  their  suppleness  and  colour  when  wet,  would  cause  them 
to  be  regarded  only  as  masses  of  weeds,  such  as  are  so  often  seen  floating  about  the 
rivers.  Such  at  least  was  their  appearance  when  lying  dead  on  the  surface  of  the  water, 
or  when  drifted  by  the  current  against  the  stump  of  a  tree,  or  among  the  reeds  and 
buUrushes  which  grow  so  profusely  near  and  upon  the  banks. 
A  few  minutes  after  the  animal  had  been  taken  out  of  the  water  it  revived  and  ran 
along  the  ground,  instinctively  endeavouring  to  regain  the  water,  but  with  an  unsteady 
motion.  In  about  twenty-five  minutes  from  the  time  of  its  capture,  it  gave  a  few  con- 
vulsive sighs  and  expired. 
This  specimen  being  a  male,  and  having  heard  so  much  related  about  the  injurious 
efifects  resulting  from  a  puncture  by  the  spur,  I  determined  to  avail  myself  of  the  op- 
portunity to  ascertain  the  correctness  of  the  assertion.  The  wounded  state  of  the 
animal  presented  no  objection  to  the  experiment,  as  in  one  published  account  in  which 
the  poison  is  reported  to  have  produced  such  terrible  effects,  the  animal  was  also  mor- 
tally wounded.  As  soon,  therefore,  as  it  became  hvely,  I  put  its  "  poisonous  spurs"  to 
the  test.  I  commenced  by  placing  my  hands  in  such  a  manner,  when  seizing  the  animal, 
as  to  enable  it,  from  the  direction  of  the  spurs,  to  use  them  with  effect :  the  result  was 
that  the  animal  made  strenuous  efforts  to  escape,  and  in  these  efforts  scratched  my  hands 
a  httle  with  the  hind  claws,  and  even,  in  consequence  of  the  position  in  which  I  held  it, 
with  the  spur  also.  But  although  seized  so  roughly,  it  neither  darted  the  spur  into  my 
hand,  nor  did  it  even  make  an  attempt  so  to  do.  As,  however,  it  had  been  stated  that 
the  creature  throws  itself  on  the  back  when  it  uses  this  weapon  ^  (a  circumstance  not 
very  probable  to  those  who  have  any  knowledge  of  the  animal,)  I  tried  it  also  in  that 
position  ;  but  though  it  struggled  to  regain  its  former  posture,  no  use  was  made  of  the 
hind  claw.  I  tried  several  other  methods  of  effecting  the  object  I  had  in  view,  but  as 
all  proved  futile,  I  am  convinced  that  some  other  use  must  be  found  for  the  spur  than 
as  an  offensive  weapon.  I  have  had  several  subsequent  opportunities  of  repeating 
the  experiments  with  animals  not  in  a  wounded  state,  and  the  results  have  been  the 
same. 
These  animals  are  seen  in  the  Australian  rivers  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  but  a 
question  may  arise  whether  they  do  not  in  some  degree  hybernate,  for  they  are  more 
abundant  during  the  summer  than  in  the  winter  months.  During  floods  or  freshes 
it  is,  however,  not  an  uncommon  occurrence  to  see  them  travelling  up  and  down  the 
rivers.  When  going  down,  they  allow  themselves  to  be  carried  along  by  the  force 
of  the  stream,  without  making  any  exertion  of  their  own ;  but  when  swimming  against 
the  stream,  all  their  muscular  power  is  exerted  to  the  utmost  to  stem  the  force 
'  Some  of  the  settlers  consider  the  spur  of  the  Ornithorhynchus  as  poisonous,  not  from  any  experience  of 
their  own,  but  in  consequence  of  the  aborigines  saying,  alluding  to  the  spur,  "  It  is  very  saucy;"  such  being 
their  English  expression  when  they  wish  to  imply  that  anything  is  hurtful  or  poisonous  :  they  apply,  however, 
the  same  expression  to  the  scratching  of  the  hind  feet  of  the  animal.  It  is  also  certain  that  they  never  seem 
afraid  of  handling  in  any  way  the  male  Ornithorhynchus  alive. 
