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NOTE ON THE PERIOD OF GESTATION IN ECHIDNA. 

 By R. Broom, M.D., B.Sc. 



On 5th September I had brought me an adult male and female 

 Echidna, which had been found together. There was no Qgg or 

 young one about the female, and little indication of even the 

 pouch. Considering it probable that impregnation had taken 

 place, I resolved to keep the specimens alive and await develop- 

 ments. The two were placed together in a large box that their 

 behaviour might be noted; but they appeared to have no interest 

 in each other. The male was rather inactive, and unless dis- 

 turbed, for the most part remained quietly in the bottom 

 of the box. The female, on the other hand, was most per- 

 sistent in its bids for liberty, and twice succeeded in escaping; 

 on one occasion splitting a |-in board and wrenching out 

 three nails. Fortunately, on both occasions, it was recaptured. 

 The male, which absolutely refused to take either food or 

 drink, died on the 18th of the month. The female continued 

 to be apparently in the best of health. Occasionally it would 

 take a little milk or water, but curiously enough refused 

 ants; and when placed on an ant bed its only desire seemed to be 

 burrow. In fact it was this unusually great desire to burrow that 

 led to its capture on the two occasions it escaped. 



On the 2nd October, on taking the Echidna out of the box, I 

 found that it had developed a well marked pouch, and that in it 

 had been placed at its most posterior part an egg. Though well 

 protected by the lateral folds of the pouch, the Qgg seemed chiefly 

 secured by the long hairs plastered across it. Among the straw 

 was found a second Qgg, apparently discarded. As there was no 

 signs of any egg on 30th September, it is probable that one egg 

 was laid on the 1st October and the other on the 2nd. After 

 protecting the pouch egg safely for three days, the mother seems 

 to have removed it, as the torn egg membrane or " shell " was 

 found on the bottom of the box, the contents having been pre- 

 sumably sucked. 



