54 NATTJEAL HISTORY SKETCHES. 



been exploded : they are clearly mammals, for the female 

 has teats. 



Strange as the forms of all these animals appear to us, 

 we may depend upon it that they still exist for some 

 good reason, and we are hardly justified in regarding as 

 monstrosities any peculiarities in the works of nature 

 which we cannot understand. 



We had a curious species of hedgehog, or ant-eater, 

 common on all the dry sandy rises in the Western-port 

 district, the Echidna or Spiny Ant-eater of naturalists, 

 about three times as large as the common European 

 hedgehog, with sharp quills, about two inches long, a 

 long tapering snout, similar to the beak of the platypus, 

 but round and thin. And here, again, we see how well 

 nature has adapted the outward form to the habits of every 

 animal. It had the tongue of the true ant-eater, very 

 similar to that of the woodpecker, and large burrowing 

 feet like the mole. They live under-ground, very near 

 the surface, and the dogs find, and quickly grub them out. 

 I never saw one above ground except when caught. It is 

 surprising how soon they can work their way into the 

 ground out of sight ; and when once down, it requires all 

 the force of one man, with a spade, to prize them up. 



This animal belongs to the same class as the platypus, 

 by naturalists called monotremata, peculiar only to Aus- 

 tralia. They stand the very lowest of all the mammalia. 



I could never identify more than three species of Bat 

 in our parts, and this little animal was by no means so 

 common as I should have imagined, in a country abound- 



