MONOTREMATA. 
with five well-developed toes; those of the fore feet are 
nearly equal in length; the inner toe, or thumb, is the 
shortest, and the outer one approaches tills most nearly in 
length; they are furnished with long, broad, and somewhat 
depressed, solid claws, which are rounded at the extremity; 
not only are the interspaces of the toes webbed, but the web 
is extended about half an inch beyond the end of the claws, 
and thus gives great expanse to the foot when used for 
swimming; but when employed in burrowing, the free edge 
of the membrane is folded back. The toes of the hind feet 
are rather longer than those of the fore, and very nearly equal 
in length, if we except the inner toe, which is about one- 
third shorter than the others; the claws are long, curved, and 
pointed; the spuces between the toes arc webbed, but here 
the web extends only to the base of the claws. On the heel 
of the male Ornithorhynchus, is a large and sharply-pointed 
moveable spur, which is curved upwards, and directed back¬ 
wards : this spur is pierced by a minute tube, the outlet of 
which is near the point; and connected with this little tuho 
is a large gland, which has been supposed by some to secrete 
a poisonous fluid, which is injected through the tube in ques¬ 
tion into any wound inflicted by the spur: but from all die 
evidence collected by Mr. Bennett, who tried various experi¬ 
ments upon himself, it does not appear that tlie supposition of 
the secretion being poisonous is well founded. A small rudi¬ 
mentary spur is found in the young female Ornithorhynchus; 
but this disappears when the animal becomes adult, and a 
small hollow marks its situation. The fur of the Ornithor¬ 
hynchus is very dense, by no means long, and rather soft to the 
touch; it is composed of hairs of two kinds; the one is ex¬ 
tremely fine and dense, and the bairn composing the outer fur, 
as it may be termed, are likewise fine, if we except that portion 
of each hair which projects beyond the under fur; these free 
points oi tlie longor hairs are comparatively harsh, broad, and 
