The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-11
A STRANGE ANIMAL PET.
Many Peculiar Characteristics of the
Australian Duck BiII.
From the Denver Republican.

From the Denver Republican.
my friend Harding was somewhat IA
nous for the extraordinary nature OF his
pets" said an English traveller "He had
a beetle that stood upon its head when
touched; lizard that came when called.
and his den was perfect menagerie Of
animals he had collected in his trips
around the world
During one Of my visits TO his home
heard a singular scratching sound behind
my chair and in a few moments something
crawled up over the back and | saw look
ing at me the quecrest of all animals.
Had 1t not been covered with hair like
sealskin l should have said II was duck,
as Il had a perfect bill and two dark, eX
pressive eyes. which looked into mine as
though they wondered who and what l
was
1.-THE little creature scrambled on and
took It In my hand, and for the first time
saw a duck bill, or ornithorhynchus, as
pet The missing link Is often heard Of
and surely this little animal suggests such
a creature Once when visiting John Bell,
the famous taxidermst who was an inti-
mate friend and companion Of Audubon,
he told me that one day, having shot a
number of new birds. he took the head OF
| one, the wings OF another the feet OF
/ another. and Joined them with all the skill
| his art permitted and then presented the
| result to Audubon. who was delighted
| with the new species and who described 1t
and gave It new name; the skin actually
! being sent to an Institution OF science be-
fore Bell disclosed the Joke, which Illus
! trated the fact that even great naturalist
OF that day could be deceived.
"If some ingenious person had taken the
head of a duck. the frame Of some other
a,.A l..s. al nf al
then given It webbed feet. spurs on two.
pan characteristic of a reptile and mann
| NAL, ne would have produced very much
the kind of animal that now rested on my
lap and poked It's duck-like bill into my
pocket
1T had the bills Of a duck. yet they
contained eight broad, nat, horny teeth.
The body was covered with hair: the fore
feet webbed beyond the claws, the hinder
| ones only to their base. Inthe male there
is spur resembling that OF a rooster. just
such an animal in fact, az one would ex-
pect to read about in old books that de-
scribe the kraken, mermaid and other
monstrosities believed In by the naturalists
of old. Indeed. this little creature was
even more wonderful than 1t appeared to
be- its varied and contradictory features
not being confined 10 It's exterior
THE little pet was perfectly tame, and
did not resent my handling In the least.
/ III seemed pOSSehseu WIN tnt bitdt1St Iu-
rioslty. pushing its bin into the crevices
of my clothes, and staring about as though
in search Of something
Jack is a great pet" said his master.
laughing at my Amusement i brought
him from Australia on my last trip.
had heard of him before went to Austria
lia and when l reached there determined
TO go up into the country and see them.
Finally / secured number of natives and
set out The men called the animal the
mullingong. and said that It was very diff
ficult to find, and very hard work, which
found to be true
THE natives provided themselves with
long pointed sticks, and when we reached
the borders of a little stream they began
TO thrust them into the soft soil and work
them up and down, much as one docs
feeling for turtle eggs This we kept up
! for several hours, when finally one of the
natives said he had struck nest and go
| ing down near the water they began to
dig, and In ashort time uncovered a tun-
mel or burroW that led up out OF It. This
was carefully followed for ten or fifteen
feet, when they came upon a chamber In
which, coied up. was a mullingong or
duck bill. To my delight, near II was the
nest and in II two little oblong eggs that
reminded me of the cocoons of a silk
worm.
This was the most interesting feature
of the expedition, as the eggs were rarely
ever found, and think of II AN animal Civ
ing milk yet laying an egg like a reptile
The eggs had evidently just been laid,
and were half and inch wide the shells
being strong, flexible. and white. We found
others. These little creatures are yearly
growing more rare and will In the near
future like many of the American animals,
become extinct "