The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-06-28
BREEDING PLATYPI.
A New and Interesting Feature of
the Park in Melbourne.
How These Unique Animals Are Fed and
Cared For-Iheir Habits and Strange
Peculiarities.

A recent number of the Melbourne Argus
had long article on the great aquarium of
that city. Among other things it said:
One of the most interesting features of
the aquarium will, before very long, be the
platypus collection. Now that the difficulty
of keeping them in captivity has been so
satisfactorily settled steps are being taken,
with the assistance of Mr.. Hagenauer and
the Lake Tyers blacks to increase the col
lection. With the present pair to act as
tutors to the new chums," no difficulty is
anticipated in feeding them artifcially,
though at one time it seemed certain the
experiment would be attended with failure
For animals naturally shy the pair in the
aquarium have rapidly accustomed them
selves to semi-dome5tic life and associa-
ton with mankind. The plan of feeding
them with box full of turf sods contain
ing snails, slugs and earthworms half i'm
mersed in the water, has already been de-
scribed in the Argus. Each platypus allows
itself to be taken up in the hand of visi-
tor-ind eed, rather invites attentions of
that kind.
THEY RECOGNIZE THEIR HOSTS,
Too, and now search their hands for food,
which at one time they could not be per-
suaded TO take in this way. They seem TO
trust entirely to the senses of touch and
smell when fossicking in the wet mold,
the small bright eyes being covered with
white lids, between which only an occa-
sional twinkle is seen. When sleeping in
the nest they lie with the bill folded back
between the front legs, aud The broad
beaver tail tapping over the bill so as TO
form almost bail of very indefinite shape.
The appearance oil the torelegs OF the
platypus is that of
VERY RROAD HAND
On short, thick forearm. with soft web
between the fingers. In swimming this
hand is fully extended. but when they move
on dry land it is folded, as though the hand
were clenched, the platypus thus walking
on its knuckles. The quickness with which
the bill is used in searching for food sug-
gests that the burrow in which the
patypus lives, and the opening of
which is generally beneath the water.
afterward inclining upward to- the
dry bank, is followed out with the bill and
not with the feet. Those who live by
streams tenanted by the platypus have
noticed that it is generally abroad by
day when there is a flood in the stream.
No doubt food is more plentiful and
more easily obtained then, but the
rise of the water in the burrow probably
necessitates the platypus leading a sort
OF vAGABoND LIFE,
And living where it can until the burrow is
again fit for occupation. The burrow is
sometimes n very long one, and nests of
young ones have been rooted out by dogs
some distance above the ordinary water
level. Like the seal, the platypus uses its
fappers very deftly to scratch its fur when
lying out on the grass, and it appreciates
little attentions of that kind quito as mani
testify as the white cockatoo in the aviary,
who invites visitors to scratch cocky's
poll" The little tank now occupied by the
platypi is model home, as there is always
trickle of water through it. The sloping
bank has been sown with buffalo grass,
and the
LEAVES OF wATERLILIEs
Float in the pool. In this connection it
may be suggested that with an increased
collection the pool could be enlarged in
size, and made to include some of the at
tractive features of lily pond. since every
thing aquatic is of interest in an aquarium.
Possibly one or other of the blue,
pink or orange waterlilies which flower
in the ponds of the Botanical Gar
dens in Sydney might thus, with little
artificial aid, be successfully grown in Mel
bourne. The blue lily and the pink lily
both grow in Australia, the former being
found on the Hunter River, New South
Wales. the other further north. The yellow
lily is an English hybrid, first grown in the
gardens of the Duke of Devonshire. For
aquarium purposes it is necessary that the
platypus collection should be increased, if
possible, to dozen at least, so that visitors
may depend upon always finding some Of
them abroad throughout tile day.