ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
83 
PRELIMINARY STUDIES OF THE PLATYPUS 
A very complete series of photographic studies is being prepared of this rare and exceptionally inter¬ 
esting animal, the lirst to arrive alive in the United States. These views show the duck-like bill and 
the extensively webbed feet. 
The wonderful tiling about this species, which 
is about the size of a musk-rat, is that it re¬ 
produces by laying eggs. It has webbed feet 
and a broad, flat bill slightly resembling the 
bill of a duck. It is covered with short, brown 
hair, and its tail is broad and flat. The mother 
has no nipples but is able to exude the milk 
through the skin at the milk glands and the 
helpless young can lick and draw it off the fur 
and so obtain nourishment. It is known 
throughout the world as the lowest of the mam¬ 
mals now living, and the connecting link be¬ 
tween the classes of mammals and birds. Its 
nearest relative is the egg-laying echidna, which 
has more stamina in captivity and which lias 
on several occasions been kept alive in the Zoo¬ 
logical Park. 
Judging by our new and untamed specimen, 
it appears that a platypus is about the worst 
exhibition animal in the world, and it is prob¬ 
able that only a very few people of New York’s 
millions will be able to see this one. The ani¬ 
mal is very nervous and will not permit itself 
to be handled or even to be touched, and it is 
perfectly certain that if it is disturbed too 
much it will speedily die. Its peculiar tempera¬ 
ment and its tank life demand for it a secluded 
room and inspection by visitors limited to about 
one hour daily. If the animal survives for any 
reasonable length of time, a considerable por¬ 
tion of animal lovers who will be interested in 
seeing it will, if they are patient, secure their 
turn. The exhibition schedule has not yet been 
determined. At present all efforts concerning 
the animal are being devoted to getting it settled 
down on a living basis. 
The food of the platypus consists of angle 
worms and small shrimps. 
At present the little animal is greatly wearied 
by its very trying journey by steamer from 
Australia to San Francisco and from San Fran¬ 
cisco by rail to New York. Four other speci¬ 
mens perished in transit, one before leaving the 
coast of Australia, and two in the neighborhood 
of Honolulu. 
Naturally this strange little creature, which 
represents a mountain of labor and very con¬ 
siderable expenditure on the part of Mr. Joseph, 
cost the Zoological Society a substantial sum; 
but large as it is, it does not represent more 
