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MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  HISTORY  AND  HABITS  OF 
specimen  has  been  placed  in  deep  water  for  even  15  or  20  minutes,  without  allowing 
it  an  opportunity  to  get  into  shallow  water,  that  when  taken  out  it  has  been  much 
fatigued  by  its  exertions. 
I  arrived  with  the  little  family  of  Ornithorhynchi  safe  at  Sidney,  and  as  they  survived 
for  some  time,  an  opportunity  was  afforded  me  of  observing  their  habits.  The  little 
animals  appeared  often  to  dream  of  swimming,  as  I  have  frequently  seen  their  fore  paws 
in  movement  as  if  in  the  act.  If  I  placed  them  on  the  ground  during  the  day,  they  ran 
about  seeking  some  dark  corner  for  repose  ;  but  when  put  in  a  dark  corner  or  in  a  box, 
they  huddled  themselves  up  as  soon  as  they  became  a  little  reconciled  to  the  place  and 
went  to  sleep.  I  found  that  they  would  sleep  on  a  table,  sofa,  or  indeed  in  any  place  ; 
but,  if  permitted,  would  always  resort  to  that  in  which  they  had  previously  been  accus- 
tomed to  repose.  Still,  although  for  days  together  they  would  sleep  in  the  place  made 
up  for  them,  yet  on  a  sudden,  from  some  unaccountable  caprice,  they  would  shift  their 
resting-place,  and  seek  repose  behind  a  box  or  in  some  dark  corner  in  preference  to 
their  former  habitation.  They  usually  reposed  side  by  side  like  a  pair  of  furred  balls, 
and  awful  little  growls  issued  from  them  when  disturbed ;  but  when  very  sound  asleep 
they  might  be  handled  and  examined  with  impunity.  One  evening  both  the  animals 
came  out  about  dusk,  went  as  usual  and  ate  food  from  the  saucer,  and  then  commenced 
playing  one  with  the  other  like  two  puppies,  attacking  with  their  mandibles  and  raising 
the  fore  paws  against  each  other.  In  the  struggle  one  would  get  thrust  down,  and  at 
the  moment  when  the  spectator  would  expect  it  to  rise  again  and  renew  the  combat,  it 
would  commence  scratching  itself,  its  antagonist  looking  on  and  waiting  for  the  sport  to 
be  renewed.  When  running  they  are  exceedingly  animated,  their  little  eyes  glisten,  and 
the  orifices  of  their  ears  contract  and  dilate  with  rapidity :  if  taken  into  the  hands  at  this 
time  for  examination,  they  struggle  violently  to  escape,  and  their  loose  integuments 
render  it  difficult  to  retain  them.  Their  eyes  being  placed  so  high  on  the  head,  they 
do  not  see  objects  well  in  a  straight  line,  and  consequently  run  against  everything  in 
the  room  during  their  perambulations,  spreading  confusion  among  all  the  light  and 
readily  overturnable  articles.  I  have  occasionally  seen  them  elevate  the  head  as  if  to 
regard  objects  above  or  around  them.  Sometimes  I  have  been  able  to  enter  into  play 
with  them,  by  scratching  and  tickling  them  with  my  finger ;  they  seemed  to  enjoy  it 
exceedingly,  opening  their  mandibles,  biting  playfully  at  the  finger,  and  moving  about 
like  puppies  indulged  with  similar  treatment.  As  well  as  combing  their  fur  to  clean  it 
when  wet,  I  have  also  seen  them  peck  it  with  their  beak  (if  the  term  may  be  allowed)  as 
a  Duck  would  clean  its  feathers.  Between  this  and  the  combing  of  the  hind  feet,  it  is 
interesting  to  see  them  engaged  in  the  operations  of  the  toilet,  by  which  their  coats  ac- 
quire an  increased  clean  and  glossy  appearance.  When  I  placed  them  in  a  pan  of  deep 
water,  they  were  eager  to  get  out  after  being  there  for  only  a  short  time ;  but  when  the 
water  was  shallow,  with  a  turf  of  grass  placed  in  one  corner,  they  enjoyed  it  exceedingly. 
They  would  sport  together,  attacking  one  another  with  their  mandibles,  and  roll  over  in 
