334 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF [1887. 



NOTES ON THE ANATOMY OF ECHIDNA HYSTRIX. 

 BY HENRY C. CHAPMAN, M. D. 



The specimen of Echidna hystrix upon which the following 

 observations were made, lived in the gardens of the Zoological 

 Society of Philadelphia about six weeks, spending most of its time 

 entirely covered by the six inches of earth at the bottom of the cage. 

 Its habit of feeding was similar to that of the ant-eaters, the tongue 

 (PI. XIV, 2) being slender and projected through the maxillary 

 opening to the extent of about three inches. Under the artificial 

 conditions of confinement it aj)peared sluggish. During life it was 

 noticed that the position of the feet was such as to project the big toe 

 outward, the soles being turned upAvard and backward. 



A thick panniculus carnosus muscle covered the whole animal. 

 A long slender muscle arose from the lower ribs on each side and 

 was inserted in the soles of the anterior feet while a corresponding 

 muscle arose from the tuberosity of the ischium to be inserted in the 

 calcaneum. Otherwise there was nothing unusual about the mus- 

 cles of the extremities. Those of the fore limbs w^ere, however, 

 enormously developed. 



The salivary glands, (Plate XIV, fig. 2, s,) were of large size, two 

 inches in length, with well developed ducts which terminated by 

 small openings in the floor of the mouth. The small intestines were 

 one hundred and two inches and the large, fifteen inches in length. 

 The latter terminated in the cloaca (PI. XV, fig. 2, c.) At the 

 union of the small with the large intestines a short vermiform ap- 

 pendix was observed. The mucous membrane of the intestines 

 was smooth throughout its entire tract, no valvulae conniventes 

 being observed as in Orinthorhynchus. Peyer's patches were well 

 developed in the small intestines. 



Three vena cavae were present, two anterior and one posterior as 

 in marsupials. Reta mirabile were observed in the iliac and bra- 

 chial veins. The blood corpuscles Avere sisos of an inch in diameter, 

 the blood itself being loaded with quadrilateral crystals. 



The spleen (PL XV, 1.) Avas a triangular gland. The liver Avas 

 four lobed and was provided AA'ithalarge gall bladder. The pancreas 

 was Avell developed, its duct, conti'ary to the usual arrangement, passing 

 into the intestine at a point nearer the pyloric orifice than the 

 bile duct. The kidneys (PI. XV, 2, k.) were of equal size. The 



