WARD’S NATURAL SCIENCE BULLETIN. 
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OUR GROUP OF ORNITHORHYNCHUS. 
Among the very strangest of all the many strange 
forms which find their way to us from all parts of 
the world, we certainly give precedence and pri- 
ority to the Duck-billed Platypus, or Ornithor- 
hynchus, as it is more commonly called in science 
It belongs to the Natural Order Monotremata, 
of which it and the Echidna are the sole members. 
It thus holds the lowest position in the scale of 
all the Mammals. When this animal was first 
brought f rom Australia at the commencement of 
the present century, its structure was so strange 
and anomalous that naturalists hesitated to believe 
in its existence. It possesses many external char- 
acteristics of both a Mammal and a bird. It has 
a broad flat, shovel-shaped bill, leathery in struc- 
ture and without teeth, which is much like that of 
the Duck. Its feet, too, are webbed like those of 
an aquatic bird, and on its hind legs are spurs like 
those of a cock. Its body is round and of uniform 
size throughout its entire length coalescing in 
front with the head, without any well-defined neck, 
and terminating behind in a flat tail somewhat 
like that of a Beaver. Both body and tail have a 
double coat, like an Otter or Beaver, of soft, silky 
fur below and of coarser hair without — a covering 
well suited to any land dwelling Mammal which 
is still very aquatic in its habits. Prof. Ward had 
seen this animal in its native haunts — the Austra- 
lian rivers — and brought many skins home with 
him. Taking nine of these of different sizes and 
ages, he planned a group which Mr. Webster exe- 
cuted in his usual artistic and felicitous manner. 
The group represents the strange little creatures 
at their home in a bend of the river bank, where a 
clear shallow pool with lilies on its surface and 
sedges at its sides allows them to dispose and place 
themselves according to their natural habits, com- 
ing from and entering their burrows, swiming in 
the water, digging in edge of bank, rolled up in 
sleeping attitude, lying prone to sun themselves 
and disporting on a limb of tree over-hanging the 
water. It also shows the vegetation of the locality 
in which they live as closely as possible, and is in- 
tended in every way to depict the life-history of the 
animal. To the left of the picture — for the whole 
group and surroundings seem like a large pic- 
ture, — a caving of the bank lias disclosed the in- 
terior of a burrow 7 and the narrow subterranean 
passage which leads tortuously up to it from the 
only entrance or exit, which is below the surface 
of the water. In this burrow are two animals — a 
mother and her young; the mother is just waking 
up — disturbed by the catastrophe — ; the little 
creat ure is yet fast asleep in fancied security ; the 
father has fled down the passage, and is emerging 
from its lower end into the water below the surface. 
The air of activity and of domestic cheerfulness, 
which pervades the whole scene and surroundings, 
makes this group of Ornithorhynchus a peculiarly 
pleasing one. It attracted great attention at the 
Taxidermists’ Exhibition at New York. At the 
close of this, it was taken to the American Museum 
of Natural History, where it is given a prominent 
place in the centre of their large Hall of Mammals. 
The Qrnithorhynchus abounds in the southern and 
more temperate regions of Australia, and in the 
adjacent island of Tasmania. It frequents where 
the water of the rivers is cool and fresh, yet is, at 
the same time, so copious and constant in its sup- 
ply, that their burrows may be made with safety 
and the hole of exit shall not be exposed in a 
period of drouth. Its native name is Mullangong. 
NEW ENGLAND BIRD LIFE. 
Winfred A. Stearns who was with us last winter, 
is now in Labrador collecting seals. We recently 
received from him his second volume of New Eng- 
land Bird Life, revised and edited by Dr. Elliott 
Coues, and published by Lee & Shepard of Boston. 
The work has been very favorably commended by 
the press. As a whole the work is one that is 
thoroughly systematic, comprehensive, and con- 
cise. Its plan gives descriptions of the birds them- 
selves, thus enabling the student to identify any 
specimen he may have on hand, together with its 
local distribution, migration, and relative abund- 
ance of every species. To the student these vol- 
umes are invaluable, containing as they do the re- 
sults of the latest investigations adapted to practical 
use. It is equally serviceable to youth just begin- 
ning to be curious about birds, and is just the work 
to go into a school reference library. 
United States National Museum’s Group of 
Fish Eating Birds. 
Professors Baird and G-oode in planning the 
vast display which the United Stales National 
Museum will make at the great International 
Fisheries Exhibition which is to be held in Lon 
don in May of the present year have added many 
very interesting features. Among these is a 
series of aquatic birds, most of which are fish- 
eating and in the main marine forms, from our 
Atlantic and Pacific coast. 
At a recent date we received from the National 
Museum a consignment of twenty-one bird skins, 
composed of ducks, geese and snake-birds, with 
instructions to arrange them into groups, prepar- 
ing them throughout in such a manner as would 
represent the highest range of the taxidermic 
art in this country. We justly appreciated the 
honor thus conferred upon the establishment, 
and we accordingly proceeded at once to execute 
the work. The skins were immediately passed 
over to Mr. F. T. Webster, one of our best 
taxidermists, who was commissioned to spare no 
time or skill to equal or excel the best examples 
of work of this kind in this country or any other. 
Much credit is due him for the way in wliich he 
has carried out the instructions. The cases were 
fiuished, shipped and delivered within two 
months from the date of consignment; and 
when the varied features of the work are consid- 
ered, the complication of the combinations of 
scenery, the general accessories necessary to re- 
produce and give a realistic effect to the land- 
scape sought, we feel pride in it both as an 
artistic enterprise, and as an illustration of our 
facilities to turn out the highest class of work 
upon short notice. The cases have called forth 
many encomiums from visitors here and since they, 
were received at Washington, and we feel confi- 
dent that our readers will be interested in a 
brief outline of their character and the style of 
grouping. The contents and composition of 
each group is shown in the table below. 
Group A. 
Harlequin Duck, 
Stellers I) UCK, - 
Spectacled Eider 
King Eider, 
Histrionicus torquatus. 
- Polysticta Stelleri. 
Larnpr arietta Fischeri. 
Somateria mollissima. 
Group B. 
Baldpate, 
Black Duck, 
Hooded Merganser, 
Wood Duck, 
Mareca Americana. 
Anas obscura. 
Lophodytes cuculatus. 
Aix sponsa. 
Group C. 
Red breasted Teal, 
Blue- winged Teal, 
Green-winged Teal, 
Canvas back Duck, 
Red head Duck, 
Querquedula cyanoptera. 
Querquedula discors. 
Nettion Garolinensis. 
Aythya vallysneria. 
Aythya Americana. 
Group D. 
Snake Bird, 
Snake Bird, 
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Plotus Anhinga. 
Group E. 
Autumnal Tree Duck, Detulrocygna autumn- 
alis. 
Fulvous Tree Duck, Dendrocygna fulva. 
Group F. 
Emperor Goose, Chloephaga canagica. 
Black Brant, - Bernicla nigricans. 
From the foregoing table it will be seen that 
the specimens were divided into groups mainly, 
according to the natural habits and external 
characteristics of the different birds. It was de 
cided at the outset that each group should be 
disposed in such a way as to represent the most 
interesting features in the life history of the bird 
composing it. This required a great deal of 
artistic planning, and the varied features of each 
group furnished ample scope for the play of 
creative skill. 
The manner in which the work has been 
handled will be shown by a few words of general 
description, commencing with Group A. 
The Eider Ducks which it contains are 
very rare, and only recently have they been 
at all obtainable. The frozen regions of the 
extreme north is the habitat of these sin- 
gularly beautiful birds. The bold and striking 
contrasts of their plumage makes them conspic- 
uous in the feathered tribe. 
The landscape of this group represents the 
natural features of the land in which these hardy 
birds live. The bold, grey, rocky shores are 
well defined, from which hang icy stalactites, 
reaching down to the frozen water below. The 
sparkling sun covers the landscape, and com- 
pletes the wintery scene. The ice is a very suc- 
cessful deception, and produces a very realistic 
effect, with its surface broken here and there. 
The raised ridges seen upon the ice, and the 
irregular masses adhering to the shores, are neat- 
ly worked out. The group must be seen in 
order to be fully appreciated. It is graphic, and 
forcibly strikes the observer as a truly artistic 
piece of skillful taxidermy. 
Group B pictures the edge of an open lowland 
which has been flooded in the springtime. Two 
old tree trunks support each a vigilant Wood 
duck and Hooded Merganser, while below, a 
Baldpate and a Black duck are feeding and 
walking near the edge of the water. 
Group C shows the Canvas back swimming in 
the rippled water, beneath and upon which are 
lily roots and pads. On the surface is the love- 
ly white water lily, and among its leaves the 
duck is sailing. A Red head is intently watching 
the movements of the Canvas-back, while just 
above are three American Teals in striking atti- 
tudes, one is holding a snail in his bill, while the 
others are observing how dexterously he is dis- 
posing of it. 
Group D represents the well known Anhinga or 
Snake Bird of the Southern States. This group, 
in the opinion of one of our leading orni- 
thologists, is a “perfect picture.” A pair of birds, 
male and female, are in the group. The lonely 
character of the birds is well marked by the sur- 
roundings. The group shows a placid stretch of 
stagnant water, beneath which is seen the deli- 
cate vegetation with its bright colors — the lily 
pads dot here and there the quiet surface. 
One of the birds has its wings slightly raised, 
and its long, snake-like neck is thrust down, 
and its bright and active eye is peering into the 
water. The other bird’s attitude is suggestive 
of the keen vigilance of these wary birds. 
Group E is composed of the two Tree Ducks 
of the extreme Southwest. They breed in trees, 
and a large trunk of a tree is rearing its weather 
beaten head high up over the small underbrush. 
The limbs with their natural foliage, the climb- 
ing vines and creepers entwining themselves 
among them, tell plainly the tropical scene. 
Group F is equally up to the standard of the 
other cases. A Black Brant is just stalking into 
the water to hunt for a few dainties, while the 
Emperor looks on, and is about to stride along 
with dignified steps to join his companion. 
In another column of the Bulletin will be 
found an interesting letter of commendation 
from Dr. Elliot Coues, who has critically in- 
spected these groups. 
ECHINOCERCUS (LITHODES) CIBARIUS. 
In a recent shipment from the Pacific coast, 
among other crustaceans, echinoderms and mol- 
luscs, were a few specimens of the above spe- 
cies. And we can safely say that, to the eye at 
least, this is one of the most pleasing, as well as 
interesting crustaceans known to science. The 
general surface of the Carapace is closely cover- 
ed with tubercles, which are perforated with 
small bristles springing from the holes. The 
edge is more or less spined all around, those 
on the latero-anterior edge being sharp and 
long, while those on the posterior edges are quite 
blunt. _ The outside of the legs, like the Cara- 
pace, is covered with large, bristly-pointed tu- 
bercles. The color of this interesting crustacean 
is a rich vermilion, beautifully blended, with a 
pale tint of yellow; its habitat is the mouth of 
the Columbia River and California coast. 
