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MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  HISTORY  AND  HABITS  OF 
and  female,  of  the  dimensions  of  ten  inches  from  the  extremity  of  the  beak  to  that  of  the 
tail.  They  had  a  most  beautifully  sleek  and  delicate  appearance,  and  seemed  never  to 
have  left  the  burrow.  The  nest,  if  it  may  be  so  termed,  consisted  of  dry  river-weeds, 
the  epidermis  of  reeds,  and  small  dry  fibrous  roots,  all  strewed  over  the  floor  of  the 
cavity,  which  was  of  sutEcient  size  to  contain  the  mother  and  her  young.  The  animal, 
it  may  here  be  observed,  has  from  one  to  four  young  ones  at  a  time,  but  the  most  usual 
number  is  two. 
When  awakened  and  placed  on  the  ground  they  moved  about,  but  did  not  make  such 
wild  attempts  to  escape  as  we  had  observed  in  the  old  ones  when  caught.  It  was 
rather  a  subject  of  surprise  to  us  that  we  had  not  captured  the  old  one,  or  at  all  events 
noticed  its  escape ;  but  not  long  after  the  blacks  captured  a  female  on  the  bank  not  far 
distant  from  the  burrow,  which  was  no  doubt  the  mother  of  the  young  which  we  had  just 
before  taken.  The  old  specimen  was  in  a  ragged  and  wretchedly  poor  condition ;  her  fur 
was  rubbed  in  several  places  ;  the  hind  claws  were  also  rubbed  and  wounded ;  and  she 
seemed  to  be  in  a  very  weak  state.  The  milk  that  could  be  expressed  from  the  glands 
was  but  trifling  in  quantity ;  and  in  the  mother  of  these  young  animals  such  would 
have  been  expected  to  be  the  case,  for  they  appeared  fully  capable  of  feeding  upon  a 
more  substantial  diet.  This  old  specimen  died  at  Mittagong,  on  my  way  to  Sidney,  on 
the  1st  of  January  1833.  On  dissection,  the  mammary  glands  were  found  diminished 
in  size  ;  and  on  cutting  into  them,  but  a  very  trifling  secretion  of  milk  was  perceived. 
The  uteri  were  very  small,  having  merely  the  small  slender  tube-like  appearance  which 
I  have  had  occasion  to  mention  in  the  dissection  of  other  female  specimens. 
In  the  young  animals  the  beak  above  was  of  a  similar  colour  to  the  same  organ  in 
the  old  specimens  ;  but  on  its  under  surface  the  colour  was  a  beautiful  delicate  pink,  in 
consequence  of  the  minute  blood-vessels  being  distinctly  visible  through  the  delicate 
epidermis.  The  legs  close  to  the  feet  were  fringed  with  fine  silvery  hairs,  and  the  whole 
of  the  fur  on  the  back,  although  of  a  more  delicate  nature,  was  similar  in  colour  to  that 
of  older  specimens  ;  but  the  ferruginous  hue  of  the  whole  extent  of  the  under  part  of  the 
chest  and  abdomen  had  a  lighter  tinge,  dependent  probably  on  the  age  of  the  animal. 
The  eyes  of  the  aborigines,  both  young  and  old,  glistened,  and  their  mouths  watered, 
when  they  saw  the  fine  condition  of  the  young  Mallangongs.  The  exclamations  of 
"  Cobbong  fat"  (large,  or  very  fat),  and  "  Murry  budgeree  patta"  (very  good  to  eat),  be- 
came so  frequent  and  so  earnest,  that  I  began  to  tremble  for  the  safety  of  my  destined 
favourites ;  and  having  given  them  in  charge  to  the  natives  to  convey  to  Mr.  Bradley's 
dwelling,  I  turned  and  rode  back  more  than  once,  from  a  fear  lest  they  should  be  all 
devoured.  But  I  was  wrong  in  my  calculation  on  the  natives'  power  of  resisting  temp- 
tation, for  they  brought  them  all  home  safe,  and  were  delighted  with  the  reward  of 
tobacco  which  was  given  them  for  their  trouble ' . 
'  The  natives  said  that  these  animals  were  more  than  eight  moons  old ;  if  this  can  be  depended  on  as  cor- 
rect, they  must  have  been  the  young  of  the  previous  season. 
