THE  ORNITHORHYNCHUS  PARADOXUS. 
241 
tinned  rains ;  but  although  exposed  to  heavy  drenching  showers,  we  again  visited  the 
river.  A  few  of  the  Duckbills  were  to  be  seen  occasionally,  but  none  at  this  time 
within  shot,  until  about  2  p.  m.,  when  a  male  specimen  was  shot ;  the  under  mandible 
and  flap,  and  the  web  of  the  fore  feet,  were  mottled  as  in  the  last  specimen.  On  the 
lower  part  of  the  spur  two  small  leeches  were  attached,  one  of  which  was  red  and 
swollen  with  the  blood  it  had  sucked  from  the  animal ;  the  other  appeared  to  have  just 
attached  itself.  The  undistended  one  was  -|ths  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  of  a  dull  black 
colour.  I  may  here  remark  that  I  could  not  discover  any  parasites  among  the  short 
thick  fur  of  any  of  these  animals. 
When  shot,  this  specimen  was  borne  down  by  the  rapidity  of  the  stream  of  the  river, 
the  current  having  been  much  increased  by  its  swollen  state.  The  animal,  however,  was 
readily  brought  out  by  the  expertness  of  a  small  spaniel  dog  (which  seemed  to  enter 
into  the  delight  of  the  sport  as  much  as  ourselves),  and  after  a  few  convulsive  sighs 
expired. 
Tlie  testes  in  the  first  male  specimen  I  examined  were  large,  being  nearly  the  size  of 
a  pigeon's  egg,  and  were  situated  near  the  kidneys.  The  penis  is  concealed  in  a  sheath 
near  the  verge  of  the  anus,  so  that  unless  pressure  is  made  near  the  sheath,  which 
occasions  the  penis  to  be  thrust  out,  that  organ  is  not  visible ;  and  there  is  conse- 
quently no  external  distinguishing  mark  of  the  difference  of  sex  in  these  animals,  ex- 
cepting the  spur  on  the  hind  feet  of  the  males.  In  the  last  male  specimen  shot  the 
testes  were  not  larger  than  a  very  small  pea.  Does  the  difference  of  size  depend  on  the 
breeding-season  ?  or  rather,  How  is  the  difference  at  the  same  season  of  the  year  to  be 
explained  ?  In  a  male  specimen  shot  at  the  Murrumbidgee  the  testes  were  also  not 
larger  than  very  small  peas.  Thus  out  of  three  males  the  testes  were  only  found  large 
in  the  specimen  shot  on  the  5th  of  October. 
At  5  p.  M.  of  the  evening  of  the  same  day  (6th  of  October)  another  female  specimen 
was  shot ;  on  being  brought  out  of  the  water  it  merely  gave  a  few  convulsive  motions 
of  the  hind  feet  before  it  expired. 
Another  specimen  was  soon  afterwards  seen,  a  short  distance  lower  down  the  river, 
dabbling  on  the  surface  of  the  stream  in  apparent  enjoyment  of  the  cool  evening.  One 
discharge  laid  it  motionless  on  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  the  dog  immediately 
brought  it  out.  This  proved,  much  to  my  satisfaction,  to  be  another  female.  At 
first  it  lay  quite  motionless  as  if  dead;  but  soon  after,  on  the  way  home,  it  showed 
symptoms  of  vitality,  and  on  placing  it  on  the  ground,  it  walked  with  tolerable  rapidity 
instinctively  towards  the  river.  This  specimen  died,  however,  soon  after  it  was  taken 
home. 
On  examining  the  first  specimen  that  had  been  shot  this  evening,  I  found  the  uteri 
enlarged,  more  particularly  that  of  the  left  side,  above  which  a  distinct  cluster  of  ova 
were  seen  as  in  the  former  specimen;  they  were  covered  by  a  delicate  membrane*. 
'  This  is  the  expanded  end  of  the  Fallopian  tube. 
