74 FOOD 



transferred to a mammary pouch which has no teat, but 

 from whose diffused milk-glands they can absorb milk. One 

 of the members of this group, the Australian ant-eater. 

 Echidna, feeds by thrusting its sticky tongue into ant-holes. 

 The ants adhere to it and are soon swallowed. The second 

 genus, the duck-billed platypus, Ornithorhynchus, is also 

 carnivorous, living chiefly on grubs, worms, snails and 

 occasionally mussels. 



All other mammals have teats, and in the Marsupialia, 

 kangaroos, wallabies and wombats, etc., these are hidden away 

 in the pouch or marsuj^ium. This is a sac or cavity on the 

 under or ventral surface of the body, into which, as the unin- 

 formed school-boy said, "the kangaroo retreats in moments 

 of extreme danger." The young are born in a very rudimentary 

 state and are quickly transferred by the lips of the mother 

 to the pouch, and permanently attached to the teats. The 

 young of even the larger kangaroos are not much larger than 

 the little finger of a man. Kangaroos and wallabies are 

 herbivorous, browsing on grass and herbage and occasionally 

 roots. Others, like some of the phalangers, are omnivorous. 

 As its name indicates, the Tasmanian wolf is carnivorous, 

 and causes considerable harm to the stock-keepers' herds. 

 Opossums are largely insectivorous, but will also eat carrion, 

 eggs and lobsters. 



The kangaroo is regarded as the typical and national 

 animal of Australia : 



Kangaroo ! kangaroo ! 



Thou spirit of Australia, 



That redeems from utter failure. 



From perfect desolation, 



And warrants the creation 



Of this fifth part of the earth ; 



Which would seem an after-birth. 



Baeeon Field. 



A curiously diverse group is that of the Edentata. It 

 contains the sloth, ant-bears, and armadilloes. Like the 

 Australian ant-eater, the ant-bear consumes nothing but 

 white-ants (termites) and true ants with their larvae. It uses 

 its great claws, with which it can successfully defend itself 

 from many enemies, to tear down the ant-heaps and hills, 



