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Show JCVCRAL KINDS OF AN ANIMAL. Tho riutyput, or Amlra'.ln, Which Luotit 1-ILo lllnU 11ml iicutU. It is lcwi than a century uliico tho Uuropcnn hunted tho platypus to his lair, tho Ural published account of him having appeared In tho Naturalist's Miscellany of London in 17Ut. ltwouhl bo Interesting to know tlio effect Hint was mado upon tho drat tlUooveivr of ivliatScrlbnor's calls nn aulinatc-l paradox para-dox than which untr.ro furnishes nothing moro anomalous, In its combination com-bination of ditck-llko umudlblos tind ivobbcd fool, tho latter further equipped with bpura lllto tho gnmo. fowl nnd olnus llko tho truo burrowing burrow-ing quadrupeds, inolc-liko eyes and ottor llko fur, body of musquash and tall uf Itjiivur. Ono who ws.1 addicted to his cupi might rcoognizo lu tho croatuio merely the Ugment of an alcoholized al-coholized brain, and an artist rogard him a U.j protolypobf ono of those uncanny uionstcrs which sprawl upon tho floor of St. Anthony cava In Ton-iers' Ton-iers' blRurro pictures of tho temptation of that holy character. Our earliest nnd, hi fact, almost our solo nccouut" of tho platypus nro confined to bald and literal descriptions of his appear-aueo appear-aueo and habitat, from which wo learn that ho 1 conilne 1 to Tir rennla nnd tho couth rii dlhtrli twnf Aiuriralnv and alt'ioujh I-.roe h 1 1 tlunght to etnW-M 0 t.- r t' ive 1 '". it li now ganurally a."rvi 'l 1 10.1.I' 1 .t f o.i'y one You may rovair many iii.ii lj tuo favorlti liiiuntnf tho p'titvpu biforo yon ! him. and t dlfcvnp l!io us-treat us-treat to which ho 111 U-tly rolhvs on obwivlng jour pri"CH"n 1-i it tuV; lm-poviblj, lm-poviblj, ot.'ept 1 a 'itVnt. l any other tbui u blue 1 follow. To theso cunning lumtura, howoier, thei-o nro no secrets of beast or birds their unerring un-erring Instinct tolls tliem when tho platypus, diving nenr tlio edgo of tho stream, is in quost of food, or when ho la seeking tho uubmerged entrance, to his burrow; and thoy will advlto you olther where to polut your gun In expectation ex-pectation of the animal's reappearance, or where to dig In tho bank In con-Hilonco con-Hilonco of striking tho grass-lined nest wherein ho dwells and rears hl uiarkablo family. |
