body, of a dufky grey. The feathers on the rump are longer than
thofe of the body, and more divided. The colour o f the wings,
which are concave, is dark rufous. The legs and claws are large in
proportion to the bird, particularly the claws. The outward toe
is connected with the middle one as far as the fir ft joint. The tail
is long, and compofed of three different forts o f feathers, o f which
the upper fide is of a dark grey, with ferruginous fpots. The firft
two lower feathers, which are a little curved in two directions, are
beneath o f a pearly colour, enriched with feveral crefcent-lhaped
fpaces, of a rich rufous and black colour. . The laminae are unwebbed,
turned round toward the extremity, and ornamented with
a black bar, the breadth of an inch, and fringed at the end. The
fhaft o f the fecond, which is likewife long, is fringed with long
hair-like filaments and the third, which'is alfo long and curved,
is plumed on the inner fide only, except at the extremity, where
there are a few feparated filaments o f a dark grey colour.
T h e female Maenura Superba differs v e ry little from th e -m a le ,
ex cep t in th e tail, w h ich is compofed o f twelve feathers a little
curved and p lum ed, h av in g th e u p p e r fide d a rk ru fo u s a n d g rey ,
and th e u n d e r o f a p e arly colour.
The following curious particulars o f thefe birds were obferved by
perfons refident in the country, and who were eye-witueffes of
what is here told;
They frequent retired and inaccefiible parts o f the interior;
have been feen to run remarkably faff, but their, tails are fo cumbrous
that.they cannot fly in a diredt line. They fing for two hours
in the morning, beginning from the time when they quit the valley,
until they attain the fummit of the h ill; where they ferape together
a fmall hillock, on which they hand, with their tail fpread over
them, imitating fuccefiively the note o f every bird- known in the
country. They then return to the valley.
The Drawing from which the E ngraving is made was taken
from a beautiful fluffed Msenura Superba in the colledtion o f Mr.
Arthur Harrifon (who alfo is in poffeffion o f a female Msenura
Superba),
Superba), and which was prefented to that gentleman by Governor
Hunter.
T he peculiar conformation o f the amphibious animal mentioned
in Page 62 of this Volume, having attradled the attention of Eve-
rsrd Home, Efq. a paper, containing the refuld o f a minute examination
o f the external and internal parts o f two fpecimens
which had been preferved in fpirits, and fent from Port Jackfon to
Sir Jofeph Banks, was drawn [up by Mr. Home, and, having been
read before the Royal Society (on Thurfday the 17th December
18 0 1) , was afterwards publifhed in the Philofophical Tranfa&ions.
From that paper, which w;as moft obligingly-and politely fent to me
by Mr. Home, I have, through the liberality o f the Prefident of
that learned body, been allowed to felect fuch particulars of this
curious animal, as will, I think, be acceptable to the readers of this
w o rk ; who no doubt will join with me in rejoicing that an
animal, hitherto unknown to fcience, Ihould have fallen under the
obfervation and examination o f a gentleman fo eminently qualified
to develope the fecrets o f nature.
The natural hiftory o f this animal, which has obtained the name
ofOitNiTHORHYNCHUS Paradoxus is at prefent very little known.
The following particulars were communicated to Mr. Home by
Governor Hunter, who, during his refidence in New South Wales,
had opportunities o f feeing the animal alive.
The Ornitborhynchus is only found in frelh-water lakes, of
Which there are many in the interior parts of the country, fome
three quarters of a mile long, and feveral hundred yards broad.
It does not fwim upon the furface o f the water, but comes up oc-
cafionally to breathe, which it does in the fame manner as the
turtle. The natives fit upon the banks, with fmall wooden fpears,
and watch them every time they rife to the furface, till they get a
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