Marsupials and Monotremes 



383 



TASMANIAN ECHIDNA, OR PORCUPINE ANT-EATER. 



This is the largest variety of the five-toed species ; it grows to a length of 20 inches, and has the fur so long as almost to conceal the spines. 



that both these and other examples kept were observed to be very irregular ; for while usually 

 most lively and disposed to ramble after it grew dusk, they would at other times come out of 

 their own accord in the daytime, or perhaps one would ramble about while the other slept. 

 When going to sleep, they would roll themselves up in a perfect ball, the head, tail, and limbs 

 being closely folded over the abdomen. 



The food question appears to have presented almost insurmountable difficulties so far 

 against the permanent acclimatisation of these interesting animals in any of our European 

 zoological gardens. At the Melbourne Zoo some considerable success was obtained by fencing 

 off a small pond abounding with insects and well-established water-plants for their reception, 

 and in this instance they had also the advantage of being brought speedily and within a few 

 hours of their capture to their new home. For their long voyage to Europe the provision of 

 an adequate quantity of living insects or other aquatic organisms is a by no means easy task. 

 They have, however, been known to thrive on broken-up river-mussels for the space of two or 

 three weeks, and would probably have done so for a longer period. This material might easily 

 be stored for their use on board ship. 



An incident concerning the natural predilections of the platypus that fell within the writer's 

 observation in Tasmania might also be utilised in their experimental transportation. At the 

 trout- and salmon -rearing establishment on the river Plenty of which the writer was at 

 the time superintendent the platypuses proved to be most destructive to the spawn both 

 deposited in the hatching-boxes and upon the natural spawning-beds, or " redds," and they had 

 in consequence to be systematically destroyed. This being the case, it is probable that they 

 would be found to thrive well on a diet consisting to a large extent of the preserved roes 

 or spawn of any easily procurable fish such as the Murray perch and cod and of which 

 adequate supplies might with facility be stored aboard ship. The admixture in all cases of 

 a certain amount of sand or mud with their provided pabulum would appear to be essential 

 for digestive purposes, such material being always found in considerable quantities in their 

 stomachs when dissected. 



