ECHIDNA. 359 



ate a mixture of flour, water, and sugar, upon which it lived for 

 some time. It made frequent efforts to get out of its cage, and 

 displayed very great strength. The possessor of another captive 

 Echidna speaks of it as in his opinion the strongest Quadruped, 

 for its size, in existence. To lift it from the ground requires 

 more force than would be supposed ; so firmly does it fix itself 

 to the earth, by means of its powerful feet and claws. The 

 animal is now very rare ; and but little is known of its habits 

 in a state of nature. Two species or varieties of it have been 

 found. 



321. The following Table, constructed by Professor Owen,* 

 is designed to express the connexions of the several orders of 

 Mammalia with each other, and the points at which they are 

 most nearly related to the inferior Vertebrata. The names of 

 the orders are printed in small capitals ; and those of the con- 

 necting genera in italics. Where the union is by a continuous 

 line, it is intended to show that the connexion is very close ; 

 but where the line is dotted, or a blank space is left, the links 

 are more or less wanting. Thus the order QUADRUMANA is 

 closely connected with the CHEIROPTERA by the Galeopithecus 

 ( 163); with the CARNIVORA by the Lemur ( 161); with 

 the RODENTIA by the Cheiromys ( 164); with the MARSUPIALIA 

 by the Didelphis ( 309) ;and less closely with the EDENTATA 

 by the Brady pus ( 240), which approaches the QUADRUMANA 

 in certain particulars. Again, the CARNIVORA and the CHEIRO- 

 PTERA are connected by the INSECTIVORA ; and the former are 

 united to the CETACEA by the genus Otaria, or Fur-Seal ( 202). 

 The EDENTATA are connected with the PACHYDERMATA by the 

 fossil Glyptodon ( 247) ; and this last order is connected with 

 the RODENTIA by the fossil Toxodon ( 303). With the RO- 

 DENTIA, again, the RUMINANTIA are connected by the genus 

 Moschus ( 276). 



* Cyclopaedia of Anatomy, Vol. III. p. 245. 



