Although the fettlement had now been eftablifhed within a
month o f ten years, yet little had been added to the flock o f natural
hiftory which had been acquired in the firft year or two o f its infancy.
The Kangaroo, the Dog, the Opofium, the Flying Squirrel,
the Kangaroo Rat, a fpotted Rat, the common Rat, and the
large Fox-bat (if entitled to a place in this fociety), made up the
whole catalogue o f animals that were known at this time, with the exception
which muft now be made o f an amphibious animail, o f the
mole fpecies, one of which had been lately found on the banks o f a
lake near the Hawkefbury. In fize it was oonfiderably larger than
the land mole. The eyes were very fmall. The fore legs, which
were {hotter than the hind, were obferved, at the feet, 40 be provided
with four claws, and a membrane, or web, that fpread con-
fiderably beyond them, while the feet of the hind legs were fur-
niflied, not only with this membrane or web, but with four long
and {harp claws, that projected as much beyond the web, as the
web proje&ed beyond the claws o f the fore feet. The tail of this
animal was thick, ftiort, and very fa t ; but the moft extraordinary
circumftance obferved in its ftrudture was, its having, inftead o f
the mouth o f an animal, the upper and lower mandibles o f a duck.
B y thefe it was enabled to fupply itfelf with food, like that bird,
in muddy places, or on the banks o f the lakes, in which its webbed
feet enabled it to fwim ; while on fliore its long and {harp claws
were employed in burrowing; nature thus providing for it in its
double or amphibious character. Thefe little animals had been
frequently noticed riling to the furface of the water, and blowing
like the turtle.
The fubjoined Engraving is from a Drawing made on the
{pot by G overnor Hunter.
dK N IT H O -R H roC lJS 'PAJRABOXü s ,
. ■ ' A n AMPHIBIÖirs ANIMAX, o f t h e M O I I E m H D .
//„/„A/,//, „ / ' / A , )
/cc/'-Afi/'/viy ////■-- r;r:/f>y/sAj/yr Aß/SpY/ic ".iß//»,/; A,i
Among the few circumftances that occurred out o f the common
courfe o f events, muft be mentioned that o f a man belonging to ■
the hofpital, who, in endeavouring to get hold o f a boat which was
clofe to the fhore, over-reached himfelf and fell into deep water,,
where he was drowned. The body being immediately found, the
means recommended by the Humane Society in fuch cafes were
made ufe of, but without the defired effe£t.
The barracks for the afliftant furgeons, and the tower o f the intended
church, were nearly completed during this month, and the
paling round the new ftore-houfe was begun. The Reliance, whole
leaks had been difcovered, was ftrengthened with riders, feveral
- people^