74 THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



blind when hatched, and remain so for a considerable time, 

 though I am unable to definitely state the period of their 

 blindness. It is not less than six weeks ; and when recently 

 hatched the animal is without a beak, the orifice of the 

 mouth is round, open, and cannot be closed ; and for some 

 time after coming into life the young one remains firmly 

 attached to the nipple of the mother ; and, as in the case 

 of most, or all, of the other Australian implacentals, it means 

 death to it if it is separated from the parent by force. 



Like the duck-bill, the echidna is furnished with spurs 

 on the hind feet. These spurs are sexual, being found on 

 the males only, and the accepted explanation is that they 

 are used during the breeding season by the rivals which 

 contest the possession of the females. This explanation is 

 not, I think, very satisfactory ; but it is the best that can 

 be put forward at present. I have never witnessed any 

 combats between the males of this animal, and its timid 

 nature is strong presumptive evidence against its ever 

 showing a combative disposition. I must make the same 

 remark concerning the duck-bill. There is a canal down 

 the spur, which was formerly supposed to be a channel for 

 the exudation of a poisonous fluid. I have not been able 

 to discover such a fluid ; wounds inflicted by the spur on 

 other animals, and on men, are not hurtful. Quite possibly 

 the weapon was formerly poisonous, and may have been 

 an effective defence to the animal. The fact that the 

 female is not furnished with them is a difficulty in the way 

 of the acceptance of this theory ; but occasionally the male 

 echidna is without them : I have taken a specimen that 

 had but one, which was on the right foot, and several of 

 these animals of both sexes have been found which had 

 not the normal number of toes. So that we may reason- 

 ably suppose that the animal is still actively in process of 

 evolution. 



Southward of the mountain range the country of 

 Victoria is most English-like. Orchards of apples, cherries, 

 and plums abound ; there are hedges of hawthorn and 

 hazel, and sometimes fences of loose stones, reminding one 

 of the North country of the mother-land. Houses are 



