﻿246 Allen's naturalist's library. 



dividual of the typical species of this genus has been found 

 with five anterior and four posterior fully developed claws, 

 it will be apparent that the main ground for referring these 

 Spiny Ant-eaters to a genus apart from Echidna is the much 

 greater proportionate length of the beak, although there is also 

 a difference in the number of the vertebrae. At best, how- 

 ever, these diiferences are but trivial, and, were it not for the 

 inconvenience of perpetually changing accepted systems of 

 classification, the writer considers that it would be preferable 

 to include the whole of the members of the family in a single 

 genus. 



The three-clawed Echidnas are restricted to New Guinea. 



I. bruijn's echidna, proechidna bruijni. 



Tachyglossus bruijnii, Peters and Doria, Ann. Mus., Genova, 



vol. ix, p. 183 (1876). 

 Acauthoglossiis bruijjtii^ Gervais, Comptes Rendus, 1877, p. 



837. 

 Froechidna bridjnii^ Gervais, Osteographie Monotrem. p. 43 



(1877); Thomas, Cat. Marsup., Brit. Mus., p. 3S3 



(1888). 

 Proechidna villosissinia^ Dubois, Bull. Mus., Belg., vol. iii., p. 



110 {1884). 

 Echidna bruijnii^ Flower, Cat. Osteol. Mus., R. Coll. Surgeons, 



pt. ii., p. 753 (1884). 



Characters.— About equal in size to the largest specimens of 

 the Tasmanian race of Echidna acnleata. Fur thick, coarse, 

 and woolly, sparsely intermingled with flattened bristles ; in 

 colour, the fur uniform dark brown or black, sometimes 

 becoming nearly white on the head. Spines on back much 

 shorter, as well as fewer than in Echidna ; their colour being 

 generally entirely white, although their bases may, in some 



