72 THE COLONY OF VICTORIA 



On capture these little animals show signs of much 

 fright. Their heart can be felt violently beating, and 

 they emit their faeces, and also squeak with a characteristic 

 bird-like or chirping note; but there is never the least 

 attempt at self-defence. Indeed they are quite incapable 

 of defending themselves, for there are no teeth in their 

 remarkable bird-like beaks. More harmless creatures than 

 echidnas and duck-bills do not inhabit the earth. They 

 hurt no creature but the minute animals which form 

 their natural prey, and do absolutely no harm to the 

 squatter or the agriculturist. 



In captivity, if properly treated, and provided with 

 their natural food, they will live a long time, and like the 

 duck-bills, give clear evidence of recognising their masters 

 — another proof that they are not lacking in intelligence. 

 Their food consists of insects and earth-worms, some of 

 the latter being of considerable size. They consume so 

 many ants that they are frequently called ant-eaters — a 

 name that is, perhaps, considering the extensile character 

 of their tongues, correctly applied to them ; but they 

 differ greatly from the true ant-eaters, and ants form only 

 a portion of their food. More correctly the echidnas (there 

 are two species in Australia, one in Tasmania, and 

 another in New Guinea) take the place of the ant-eaters 

 in Australia, as the koalas do that of the sloths, the 

 kangaroo that of the deer, etc. In Australia, as I have 

 remarked, nearly all classes of the placentals are repre- 

 sented by implacental families. 



So rapidly can the echidna burrow that a minute is 

 amply sufficient time for it to put itself completely under- 

 ground, and that in ground which is so hard that a man 

 can dig into it only with difficulty. Unlike the rabbit, 

 the echidna takes care to conceal the entrance to its 

 burrow, which is placed under a mass of tangled roots, or 

 amongst a thick tuft of ferns or grass. There are always at 

 least two holes to each burrow, and sometimes three or four. 

 It is very difficult, therefore, to obtain the animal by 

 digging. At the bottom of the main burrow, which is 

 seldom a less distance than forty feet from the entrance- 



