244 
MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  HISTORY  AND  HABITS  OF 
On  examining  the  uterine  organs  of  this  specimen  on  the  following  morning,  I  found 
the  right  uterus  distended,  and  measuring  2f  inches  in  length  ;  but  on  laying  open  its 
interior  it  was  found  not  to  contain  any  ova.  The  left  uterus  was  vascular  ;  and  on 
laying  open  the  interior,  the  inner  surface  was  found  thickened,  corrugated,  and  vas- 
cular :  at  the  loose  part  I  found  two  white  semi-transparent  ova,  about  the  size  of,  or 
rather  smaller  than,  buck-shot.  They  lay  perfectly  unattached  to  the  uterus,  and  readily 
came  out.  On  placing  them  on  my  hand,  and  then  holding  them  up  to  the  light,  I 
could  distinctly  perceive  a  yelk  of  a  very  pale  yellow  colour,  which,  in  whatever  direc- 
tion I  turned  the  ovum,  fell  to  the  under  surface.  After  the  ova  had  been  taken  out  of 
the  uterus,  and  the  moisture  which  covered  them  at  that  time  had  become  dried  up, 
they  lost  their  semi-transparent  appearance,  and  became  opake  ;  but  being  replaced  in 
the  moist  uterus  they  soon  regained  their  former  appearance.  Like  all  those  which  I 
had  previously  seen  they  had  a  firm  tough  external  membrane,  which  enabled  them  to 
be  handled  and  examined  without  injury  to  their  structure.  A  cluster  of  ova  was  situ- 
ated in  the  usual  place  over  each  uterus  in  this  specimen. 
In  all  the  females  that  I  had  now  dissected,  I  had  experienced  much  difficulty  in 
finding  the  abdominal  or  mammary  glands  :  indeed,  had  I  not  been  previously  acquainted 
w^ith  their  situation,  I  should,  in  their  present  stage,  have  passed  them  over  altogether. 
On  one  occasion  a  native  was  overlooking  me  when  busily  engaged  in  seeking  for  the 
gland.  Perfectly  aware,  although  I  had  not  informed  him,  for  what  I  sought,  he  pointed 
out  its  situation,  saying  at  the  same  time,  "  Milliken  (milk)  come  all  same  as  from  cow." 
When  I  told  him  that  I  could  hardly  see  it,  he  replied,  "  Bye  and  bye,  when  pickaninny 
come,  cobbong  (large),  milliken  come." 
On  the  afternoon  of  this  day  (October  8th)  the  usual  ramble  was  taken  on  the  banks, 
to  observe  and  procure  specimens  of  these  animals.  As  the  native  Daraga  came  from 
Mr.  Manton's  to  Mundoona  this  afternoon,  he  accompanied  us,  and  we  availed  ourselves 
of  the  opportunity  to  obtain  his  assistance  in  seeking  for  burrows.  On  a  steep  bank  at 
one  part  of  the  river,  the  keen-sighted  native  pointed  out  to  our  uninitiated  eyes  the 
tracks  of  these  animals  on  the  moist  earth  close  to  the  water ;  which  tracks  being  fol- 
lowed up  the  bank  at  a  distance  varying  from  two  to  five  feet,  the  entrance  of  the  bur- 
row, concealed  by  the  long  grass  and  shrubs,  was  soon  discovered,  and  the  tracks  had 
evidently  a  very  recent  appearance.  Following  the  same  method  as  he  had  adopted 
when  the  last  burrow  was  discovered,  the  native  placed  his  hand  within  it,  and  took 
from  its  lower  surface  pieces  of  clay  on  which  impressions  of  the  animal's  feet  were 
distinctly  marked ;  but  from  the  situation  of  these  burrows  I  regarded  it  as  next  to  im- 
possible to  explore  them.  We  had  often  during  this  excursion  mistaken  the  holes  of 
water-rats  and  other  animals  for  those  of  the  Ornithorhynchus ;  but  our  tawny  com- 
panion always  told  us  to  what  animal  they  belonged,  at  the  same  time  readity  pointing 
out  the  differences. 
Very  late  in  the  evening  we  watched  two  Water-Moles  paddling  about  in  a  small  pond 
