258 
MR.  G.  BENNETT  ON  THE  ORNITHORHYNCHUS  PARADOXUS. 
meagre ;  their  coats  lost  the  sleek  and  beautiful  appearance  which  had  before  called 
forth  so  much  admiration ;  they  ate  Uttle ;  yet  they  ran  about  the  room  as  before  and 
appeared  lively.  But  these  external  symptoms  argued  strongly  against  their  being  in 
a  state  of  health.  When  wet,  their  fur  became  matted,  never  appearing  to  dry  so  rea- 
dily as  before ;  and  the  mandibles,  and  indeed  every  part  of  the  animal,  indicated  any- 
thing but  a  healthy  condition.  How  different  was  their  appearance  now  from  the  time 
when  I  removed  them  from  the  burrow  :  then  their  plump  and  sleek  appearance  roused 
even  the  apathetic  blacks ;  now  the  poor  creatures  could  only  excite  commiseration  for 
their  reduced  condition.  The  young  female  died  on  the  29th  of  January  1833,  and  the 
male  on  the  2nd  of  February,  having  been  kept  alive  during  the  space  of  nearly  five 
weeks,  and  thus  my  expectations  of  conveying  them  to  England  in  a  living  state  were 
frustrated. 
PLATE  XXXIV. 
Ornithorhynchus  paradoxus 
sketched  in  postures  which  it  assumes  while  sleeping,  partially  awakened,  combing 
itself,  and  feeding. 
