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Platypus

Tuned into the talented Ellen DeGeneres' show the other day and caught her in genial chat with burly Russell Crowe, promoting latest antipodean phone phlinging techniques.

The conversation turned - somewhat bizarrely, and to both parties' bemusement - to platypus, with Crowe promptly correcting Ellen on her pluralization of 'platypuses'.

'Platypi' pronounced RC firmly.

In fact, I find it is "platypus".

Next query was for a suitable collective noun. Well, I didn't know either, so I rushed to

• Collective Nouns
• Beastly Garden
• and even Animal Group Names

No sign. Rum!

Guess what - there **is** no collective noun for these "solitary animals that do not form social groups or family units."

What fascinating "living fossils"! Of the species Obdurodon insignis, Obdurodon dicksoni, and Obdurodon sp. A , which endears them further to me, with that kindred hint of 'obduracy' in their species name.

I wish now I'd taken the name of platypus for my stubbornly solitary scribblings.