596 



THE EGG-LAYING MAMMALS. 



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FIRST FAMILY: Echidxid*. 



The family of the Ant-eaters (Echid/ndce) consists 

 of two genera, containing one species each. They 

 are distinguished by their clumsy body, covered by 

 a bristly fur which is for the greater part interspersed 

 with spines; by their cylindrical and absolutely 

 toothless beak, slit at the lower end; their short, 

 stub-like tail, their free, imperfectly mobile teeth 

 and their long, thin, worm-like tongue, which is freely 

 protractile in a manner analogous to that character- 

 izing the motion of that organ in other Ant-eaters. 

 In their external appearance the Ant-eaters differ 

 from the Duck-mole much more than they do in 

 their internal anatomical structure. The two lacteal 

 glands have hundreds of opening canals and lie 

 laterally on the abdomen of the female in shallow 

 depressions, which at least in the Porcupine Ant- 

 eater, according to the authority of Haacke, are 

 enveloped in the lateral folds of a brooding-pouch, 

 developing as required for the purpose of the recep- 

 tion, incubation and hatching of the egg, later shel- 

 tering the young and becoming more spacious as the 

 growth of the young advances, and then again dis- 

 appearing by process of absorption after the wean- 

 ing of the progeny. This pouch opens in front and 

 is, even at the beginning of the process of reproduc- 

 tion, large enough to admit a watch. The depres- 

 sions form shortly before the laying of the eggs, 

 and may become entirely obliterated temporarily. 

 R von Lendenfeld found that during the incubation 

 of the eggs the heat in the pouch was higher than 

 that in any other part of the body, and that the skin 

 forming it appears greatly reddened, and, so to speak, 

 congested, on account of the increased local circula- 

 tion of the blood. The Porcupine Ant-eater seems 

 to lay only one small, large-yolked, parchment-cov- 

 ered egg. The duration of the period of incubation 

 has not yet been established. The young, when first 

 hatched, is like that of the pouched animals — very 

 tiny, naked and blind and differs from its parents 

 especially by reason of its short snout. It is not 

 definitely known how it is nourished. It seems that 

 it remains in the maternal pouch for a long time. 



The Ant-eaters range from New Guinea over Aus- 

 tralia to Tasmania. 



The Australian The Australian Porcupine Ant-eater 



Porcupine Ant- (Echidna aculeate, typica), the physical 

 eater. proportions of which are intermedi- 



ate between those of the Papuan and the Tasmanian 

 Ant-eater, possesses a comparatively long beak. 

 The face and the region around the ears are either 

 completely, or for the greater part, beset with smooth 

 spines, leaving a strip on the forehead and on either 

 cheek bare. The spines on the back are long, stiff 

 and strong, often attaining a length of two and one- 

 half inches and usually completely overgrowing the 

 hair interspersed among them. Their color is a pale 

 yellow at the base, orange yellow in the middle and 

 black at the tip. The hair on the back is black or 

 deep brown, but is often entirely absent, occasionally, 

 however, protruding above the spines of the hind 

 quarters, this phenomenon perhaps occurring at cer- 

 tain seasons only. The legs, and the entire under 

 surface, are covered by a dark brown fur, plentifully 

 mingled with smooth spines. The animal is about 

 sixteen inches in length, about half an inch of 

 which is included in the tail. This sub-species is 

 distributed over the entire continent of Australia, 



and also occurs on Kangaroo Island, off the southern 

 coast of Australia. 



The Papuan and The Papuan Porcupine Ant-eater 

 Tasmanian Porcu- {Echidna aculeate lawesi) differs from 



pine Ant-eaters, the Australian sub-species by reason 

 of its smaller size, shorter dorsal spines, between 

 which the hair is visible, a greater number of spines 

 on the head, the legs and the under surface of the 

 body, and by a comparatively longer beak. This 

 sub-species is known only from specimens taken 

 near Port Moresby in southeastern New Guinea. 



The Tasmanian Porcupine Ant-eater (Echidna acu- 

 leata sctosa) differs from the Australian variety by 

 reason of its greater proportions, as it attains a 

 length of twenty inches, and by the lack of spines 

 on the head, sides, abdomen and legs. The hue 

 of the head is generally lighter than that of the rest 

 of the body. 

 Habitat and Habits The Porcupine Ant-eater affects 



of the Porcupine mountainous regions more than it 

 Ant-eaters. does plains, sometimes ascending 

 to an altitude of 3,000 feet above the sea. It partic- 

 ularly delights in dry woodland, where it can exca- 

 vate burrows and holes under the roots of the trees. 

 There it hides during the day; at night it sallies 

 forth and searches for food, sniffing and digging. 

 Its movements are lively, especially when digging, 

 as it is an adept at this employment. Insects and 

 worms, but especially the various kinds of Ants and 

 Termites, constitute its principal food. It finds 

 them with the help of the very sensitive tip of its 

 snout, which is probably less adapted to smelling 

 purposes than it is as an organ of touch It eats 

 after the fashion of other animals with a vermiform 

 tongue, protruding that member, and, when it is 

 covered with Ants, retracting it quickly. Like all 

 other Ant-eaters it apparently involuntarily mixes 

 much sand and dust or dry wood with its food, for 

 its stomach is always filled with such substances. 

 Occasionally grass is also found in the digestive 

 organs. 



When an Echidna is menaced with capture it 

 instantly rolls up into a ball, and it is then very 

 hard to obtain a hold upon it, as the sharp spines 

 usually inflict wounds which cause great pain to its 

 assailant. The muscular contraction of the animal 

 in rolling up is sufficient to insert the spines. A 

 rolled-up Echidna is not easy to transport, the best 

 way being to grasp it by the hinder legs, disregard- 

 ing its efforts and strugglings. When an Echidna 

 has dug for itself a burrow of moderate depth, it is 

 extremely difficult to pull the animal out of its sub- 

 terranean retreat. It first relaxes and then enlarges 

 itself, after the manner of Armadillos, and presses 

 its spines so closely against the circumference of its 

 burrow that it really seems to be glued in it. The 

 assertion of the natives of the regions which it in- 

 habits, that the male wounds its assailant with the 

 spur on its hinder leg, and injects a poisonous fluid 

 through the hollow weapon into the wound, must be 

 regarded as untrue in the light of the results, of all 

 the experiments that have been made in this direc- 

 tion. 



The vocal expression of this queer creature, which 

 is heard when it is very uneasy, consists of a weak 

 grunt. Of its perceptive senses those of hearing and 

 sight rank first; the others arc less developed. 



Haacke' sObserva- Haacke has repeatedly kept Echid- 



tionsofthe n;e in Australia and made observa- 



Echidnce. tions, especially concerning their 



climbing ability, endurance of hunger and method of 



