AN EGG-LAYING MAMMAL 



Echidna moves with a shuffling gait and walks badly 

 upon the sides of its feet. This is precisely the way in 

 which the Myrmecophaga walks, and in both cases the 

 habit has at least the result of preserving unimpaired 

 the sharp claws so necessary to dig down the foundations 

 of ant-hills. Everybody knows nowadays that this 

 mammal lays eggs. And furthermore as in other egg- 

 laying vertebrates, the young, when ready for hatching, 

 has a knob on its snout which enables it to break the 

 shell and emerge into the world. When it does emerge 

 it is still taken care of by the mother, who keeps it in her 

 pouch for certain time, and afterwards allows its out 

 for a run and at stated intervals picks it up again and 

 puts it in the pouch to be fed. When the mother in- 

 tends to rove far she thinks of her infant and places 

 it securely in a burrow dug for the purpose. It is a 

 very interesting fact that an abundance of termites 

 in various parts of the world has resulted in the modi- 

 cation of such diverse types of animals for their en- 

 joyment. The Echidna was made for the termites, not 

 the termites for the Echidna. 



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