220 



THE MONOTREMES. 



points. Perhaps even these species are merely 

 local varieties. In recent years, however, 

 Gervais has described a third species belong- 

 ing to New Guinea with a relatively longer 

 beak which is curved downwards, and this 

 species he has erected into a new genus, giving 

 to it the name of Acanthoglossus Bruynii. 

 From these discoveries it would appear that 

 the family of the porcupine ant-eaters has a 

 much wider geographical distribution than that 

 of the duck-moles. In its external appearance 

 the long-spined echidna resembles a large 

 hedgehog with a long beak and a rudimen- 

 tary tail. The head, with the exception of 

 the beak, the neck, belly, and feet, are set 

 with thick silky bristles which are in general 

 short, but are specially well developed round 

 the slits forming the external openings of the 

 ears. The beak may be compared to that 

 of a snipe. It is as long as the rest of the 

 head and a little arched. In its front part 

 are situated the nostrils, and its under side j 

 is grooved so as to allow free play for the 

 long worm-like tongue, which is flattened and 

 covered with a horny layer. The lower jaw 

 is remarkably thin, and so surrounded by the 

 horny envelope of the beak that only a very 

 small opening remains for the mouth, an 

 opening only just sufficient to allow of the 

 protrusion of the tongue. Above the open- ; 

 ing of the mouth is a narrow horny upper-lip. 

 Of teeth there is not the slightest trace. 

 The animal feeds chiefly on ants. These it 

 procures by means of its tongue, which is 

 always kept covered with a viscous secretion 

 derived from the large salivary glands situated j 

 beside the throat. 



The back and sides of the body are covered 

 with short, solid, sharp-pointed spines, be- 

 tween which are set numerous bristles. The 

 animal can roll itself up into a ball like 

 our hedgehog, but prefers to burrow under 

 the ground to escape from its enemies. The 

 feet are essentially burrowing feet. In the 

 whole class of the Mammalia there is perhaps 

 no other species with so strong a shoulder- \ 



girdle, a humerus so much flattened or pro- 

 vided with such prominent ridges for the 

 attachment of the muscles. The fore-feet 

 form a broad spade-like implement; the five 

 toes are armed with very long flat claws; the 

 hind-feet are narrower and longer, and in 

 them the second toe is the strongest. The 

 spur of the male attains a considerable size, 

 and the marsupial bones are likewise well 

 developed. The short tail is hidden under 

 two bunches of spines. 



The porcupine ant-eaters prefer the dry 

 woods of mountainous regions up to a height 

 of about 3000 feet or more, so long as they find 

 plenty of ant-hills. They lead a nocturnal 

 life, sleeping by day in holes. In attacking 

 an ant-hill they first dig a hole in it and then 

 insert their viscous tongue, to draw it out 

 again covered with ants. Like the arma- 

 dillos they dig their way under the ground 

 with remarkable rapidity, and hold on with 

 such firmness to a hole that they have once 

 begun that it is only with the greatest diffi- 

 culty that they can be torn away from it. 

 They are indolent and in captivity generally 

 gentle creatures. Young specimens have 

 been brought to England and fed at first 

 with milk, afterwards with hard-boiled eggs 

 rubbed down. Their flesh is said to be pretty 

 good. They are very tenacious of life. In 

 the museum at Geneva there is a skeleton of 

 a porcupine ant-eater showing the marks of 

 a blow with a sharp instrument which divided 

 eight ribs in a line parallel to the line of the 

 back. This enormous wound afterwards be- 

 came perfectly healed, for one can see that 

 the broken ribs are re-united by means of 

 new bone substance. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION AND 

 ORIGIN OF THE MONOTREMES. 



The geographical distribution of the mem- 

 bers of this group is remarkably simple. 

 They are essentially an Australian type. 



