96 ECHIDNA ORNITHORYNCHUS. 



FAMILY OF MONOTREMATA. 



9. It includes animals of a strange construction, which unite 

 the characters of the mammal with those of the oviparous ani- 

 mals, and whose place in the classification of mammalia is still a 

 subject of controversy with some naturalists. The monotremata, 

 like birds, have but one opening for the escape of excrement 

 and urine ; but there is found under the belly two glandular 

 masses, which most naturalists consider to be mammas ; besides 

 the five nails on all the feet, the males have on the hind legs a 

 peculiar spur traversed by a canal from which issues a liquid, 

 which is secreted by a gland adhering to the thigh. It is asserted 

 that wounds inflicted by them are poisonous. The accounts of 

 travellers and of the natives of the countries which they inhabit, 

 seem to establish that they lay eggs like birds ; but this is still 

 doubtful. 



10. They are peculiar to New Holland and Van Dieman's 

 land. This singular family contains two genera. 



11. 1st. The ECHIDNA resemble the Hedgehogs, because they 

 are covered above with numerous spines mingled with hairs, and 

 below they have hair only. The body is stout and short, the neck 

 is scarcely perceptible, the tail is merely a tubercle covered with 

 spines ; their long muzzle terminated by a small mouth, contains 

 a very long tongue, which they protrude to seize insects, upon 

 which they feed ; they have no teeth, but their palate is armed 

 with several ranges of little spines directed backwards; they have 

 short feet armed with nails for digging. These animals readily 

 excavate the earth, and form subterraneous abodes near to trees. 

 Like the hedgehogs, they roll themselves into a ball. 



12. 2d. The ORNITHORYNCHUS, (Mate 4. fig. 5.) has a small 

 elongated body, a small head, a very strong tail which is short, 

 flattened, and, at its root, as wide as the body of the animal, 

 like that of the Beaver ; it is covered with hair, and the extremi- 

 ties are very short, and the anterior widely separated from 

 the posterior ones The muzzle is terminated by a horny beak 

 like that of a duck, and like it the edges are provided with small 

 transverse plates ; in the back part of the mouth only, it has two 

 teeth without roots and flat crowns, on each side of both jaws ; 

 the tongue is large and soft, the nares are round, situate towards 



P. Wh I is pecu iar in animals of the family of Monotremata? 



10. In what parts of the world ure the Moi.otremata fuund ? How many 

 gen' ra does this family include ? 



11. Wh.t are Echidna? What are th- ir habits? 



12. What i< the Ornit' orynchus ? What are its peculiarities ? What are 

 Hs hab.ts ' Wh n i> it ;ounJ ? 



