PLATYPUS Ornithorhynchus anatinus (Shaw, 1799) (NT)

MZUT T409 (541); mount; male ad.; river near Port Jackson, New South Wales, Australia; 1819; donation by Mr. Mackay;

MZUT T410 (1335); mount; unsexed ad.; no locality; I/1892; donation by Mr. Giglio Giuseppe;

MZUT T411 (1562); mount; male ad.; no locality; 1899; donation by Carlo Bajnotti;

MZUT T412 (1858); mount; unsexed; no locality; 1905; donation by Mr. Chiotti;

MZUT T413 (2756); mount; unsexed ad.; Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; 1927; donation by Count Teofilo Rossi of Montelera;

MZUT T414 (MACUT 325); skeleton; w.d.

Remarks: James Townsend Mackay was the curator of the botanical garden of the Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland) and associate of Linnean Society of London.

The MZUT catalogue reports for the specimen MZUT T409 the following note “the specimen through its spur caused the loss of a soldier’s arm who wanted to take him alive”.

Carlo Bajnotti (1868-1942) was a passionate traveller and naturalist who worked as taxidermist for the Royal Zoological Museum of Torino (Simondetti 1943).

Mr. Chiotti was ship’s purser of the warship “ Liguria ”, captained by His Majesty Luigi Amedeo di Savoia, Duke of the Abruzzi during his journey around the globe in the years 1902–1904.

Teofilo Rossi di Montalera (1865-1927) was an entrepreneur, a politician of the Kingdom of Italy and office of Mayor of the City of Torino up to 1917.