Democratic Sentinel, Volume 19, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 May 1895 — Poison in Its Spur [ARTICLE]

Poison in Its Spur

Ornithorhynchus paradoxus, the unique Australian duck billed water mole, has lost its character for harmlessness,but has an added peculiarity, a sting like a bee. The male has on its hind leg a powerful spur connected with a gland. When attacked it does not scratch with the spur, but digs it in; and now sin Australian naturalist has discovered that a virulent poison is ejected from the spur. He has found two men who were poisoned in handling the animal, and a number of dogs, four of the latter dying. .