PLATYPUS. 99 
the hasty flap of its broad tail, and .seldom reappears. The 
Gundagai Times of April, 1895, announces that two travellers who 
were fishing near Jugiong, having set some night lines for fish, found 
in the morning a platypus attached to a hook partly swallowed. 
Some years ago Mr, Jefferies, of Wagga, caught one similarly, his 
bait being a prawn. 
Burrows.—The platypus makes its nest in the bank adjoin- 
ing a stream, on which long grass and herbaceous plants abound. 
The entrance to it is about a foot from the water’s edge ; the burrow 
made varies in length from 20 to 50 feet, extending ina serpentine 
direction up the bank into dry ground. Besides the entrance near 
the water’s edge, there is also another opening under the water, 
which communicates with the upper aperture and the main burrow. 
No doubt by this subaqueous orifice the animal seeks refuge when 
it is seen to dive, but does not rise again. ‘The termination of the 
burrow is broader than any other part, thus forming a little chamber 
nearly oval in form, thr base of which is strewed by the platypi 
with dry river-weeds and leaves ; these form a warm and comfort- 
able nest for their offspring. The number of young, which are very 
helpless at first, rarely exceeds two. At the extremity of a burrow, 
35 feet long, in the bank of the Wollondilly River (the burrow 
having been dug out) two full-furred young ones were found—a male 
and a female—coiled up asleep; they growled exceedingly at being 
exposed to the light of day. ‘They measured 10 inches from the ex- 
tremity of the beak to that of the tail. ‘The object of the animal in 
burrowing upward is to have its nest above water level should the 
river rise. lt has been noted that a nest was 22 feet above the 
summer level of a stream. The object of the lateral chambers can- 
not be comprehended. ‘The breeding season in Queensland com- 
prises Sept., Oct. and Nov., but it is later in the south of the 
continent and in Tasmania. Dr Bennett says :—‘‘ Our black 
zoological collector pointed out to me in the course of his peri- 
patetic lecture, or rather demonstration of the whole art of captur- 
ing them, the distinct marks of the hind and fore feet of one of these 
animals on the moist clay near the river; and, afterwards inserting 
his hand up the burrow, brought from thence some lumps of clay 
taken from the under surface. These he regarded closely, and 
placing them in my hands pointed ont recent impressions of the fore 
feet of the Mullangong tribe, which were certainly distinctly visible. 
He then removed some other pieces from the interior of the burrow, on 
which there were further proof impressions of the animal’s recent 
presence, and it was therefore declared to he an inhabited one.” On 
27th of Oct., 1876, at Lockyer Creek, which is an eastern water 
flowing into the Bremer River, Queensland, a waterhole, bordered on 
one side by rocks, but on the other side by a high sandy bank, was 
examined and a burrow found on the sandy side. It was four inches 
by three, running upwards in a serpentine direction. After digging 
five feet a chamber on the right-hand side was found ; it was 12 
in. long, 6 high, 8 broad, the burrow still continuing to the left. 
Five feet further on a second chamber was opened similar in size 
