AUSTRALIA'S PLATYPUS

Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 112, 14 May 1927, Page 21

AUSTRALIA'S PLATYPUS

THE WEIRDEST OP CREATURES

"The Playtpus." By Harry Burvell, C.M.I.S. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, Ltd. A small boy was once taken on a visit to the Zoological Gardens. After gazing in silence for some considerable time at the ungainly and fearsome, rhinoceros, he asked in incredulous tones, "Does such an animal really exist?" Well may- naturalists of seventy or one hundred years ago have asked the same question about Australia's j mystery animal—the platypus. For here was an animal that \ lived in the water; that built a nest, laid eggs, and suckled its young; that had webbed feet and a- bill like a duck. No wonder that the "duck-billed platypus," as it came to be known, was regarded as a production of the imagination—a traveller's tale. When about 100 years ago specimens of this "dubious quadruped" first reached Europe they wore regarded as impositions. They reached England by vessels which had navigated the Indian seas, a circumstance in itself sufficient to arouse the suspicions of the scientific naturalist in view of the monstrous impostures which the artful Chinese had so frequently practised upon European adventurers. The platypus was accordingly classed with the."eastern mermaid," which is the skin of the fore-part of a monkey skilfully sewn to the tail-pavt of a fish. The platypus was really too much for any staid scientist to deal with: both its external and internal structure seemed to defy all the ordinary rules of Nature. But the platypus was proved to exist, and innumerable have been' the resulting controversies amongst naturalists as to its habits and structure. EXPERTS DIFFER.

Even at the present day these controversies exist, but the result of Mr. Burrell }s researches should go far to set many doubts at rest. Twenty years' personal observation, of the platypus in its natural haunts'and in an artificial ' • platypusary, " while collecting specimens for the University of Sydney and for the Commonwealth National Museum, enables him to write with authority.- Ho does not, hesitate to disagree at times with the published opinions of other observers, neither does be pretend to have said the last word on the subject of the world's most mysterious creature. His book is a most fascinating natural history romance, enhanced by numerous excellent photographs, which illustrate every phase of this creature's life and habits. Although at times he finds it necesasry to write in technical and. scientific terms, the general reader need not be, deterred.

Of course, many illusions about the "duck-billed" platypus are dispelled. Prom dried specimens seen in museums has arisen the idea that the platypus has a hard bill like that of a duck. As a raatter of fact the only similarity between the two organs is- their shape. The '.'bill" of the platypus is a sensory organ, soft, and unlike any organ possessed by any other animal. Being to all intents and purposes blind when beneath the wa fer, the platypus usgs its "bill" instead of eyes, and probably instead of ears and nose as .j well. Mr. Burrell, in fact, endows it with a sixth sense. The so-called poison spur of the male platypus is another enigma with which Mr. Burrell exhaustively treats, as he does all the extraordinary features and habits of this weird creature. PLATYPUS BECOMING RARER.

One is glad to read that protection is extended throughout Australia to this unique product or" Nature, and ties than it did before Australia. be : coming extinct, although it flourishes'in far fewer numbers and iv fewer localities than it did before Australia became a white man's country. Its'fur unfortunately makes it attractive to man's cupidity, and it has been provided with an enemy in the rabbit, whoso numerous burrows supplant those of the platypus. Economically there is little to be said either for or against the platypus, for it does no positive good and no positive harm. But it is ono of tho rarest and quite the most interesting of the world a animals, and for this reason it is to bo hoped that protective restrictions on its slaughter will contiuuo to be enforced and tightened. The platypus breeds so slowly, laying only two, or at tho most three, eggs a year, that its extermination is only a matter of years unless protection is rigidly enforced.

Mr. Burrell concludes his unique book with n delightful account of how the first and only live platypus arrived in New York in 1922 after a journey of 10,000 miles. Its four companions died en route, and tho solo survivor cost over 1000 dollars to land. It was hopod that it might live for a week: as a matter of fact it lived for 49 days, and was on exhibition daily for one hour. It cost ¥ five dollars a day to feed, having a remarkable appetite:—"Each day between 3 and 4 o'clock the anilnal was given one quarter of a pound of earth worms. On Tuesday and Friday nights one quarter of a pound of shrimps and one half pound of grubs wero given. On the evenings of Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday ho received one half pound of shrimps." The remarkable appetite of tho platypus is apparently not the least of that creature's amazing characteristics. However, Mr. Burrell thinks that with intelligent care a platypus might be kept in ac.ti.vity indefinitely, but only by those who really understand its curious habits and likes and dislikes.—H.W.M.