^o STRANGE DWELLINGS. 



is the usual average, but burrows have been opened where the 

 length was full fifty feet, and where the course was most annoy- 

 ingly variable, bending and twisting about so as to tire the 

 excavators, and make them quite disgusted with their work. 

 The natives never dig out the entire burrow, but push sticks 

 along it, and sink shafts upon the sticks ; just, in fact, as a boy 

 digs out a humble bee's nest, by inserting twigs into the hole, 

 and digging down upon them. 



This serpentine form of burrow is in all probability attribu- 

 table in a great degree to the peculiar instincts of the animal. 

 As, however, the course of the tunnel is extremely variable, and 

 no two burrows have precisely the same curves and windings, 

 it is likely that various obstacles, such as roots and stones, may 

 turn the animal out of its course while engaged in digging 

 its subterranean home, and therefore that the shape of the 

 burrow may in some degree depend upon the character of the 

 ground. 



At the upper extremity of the burrow is placed the nest, an 

 excavation of a somewhat oval form, much broader than the 

 width of the burrow, and well supplied with dry weeds and 

 grasses, upon which the young may rest. They appear to 

 remain in these burrows until they have attained half their full 

 growth, for Dr. Bennett captured a pair of young Ducklings, 

 ten inches in length, which seemed not to have left the burrow. 

 Sometimes there are four young in one nest, and sometimes 

 there is only one, but the usual number is two. 



There is another strange Australian animal, also remarkable 

 for its power of burrowing. This is the creature which is 

 known as the Porcupine Ant-eater {Echidna hystrix), and 

 is called by the very erroneous names of Porcupine, or Hedge- 

 hog. The natives have several names for it, some calling it 

 Nicobejan, others Jannocumbine, and others Cojera. 



The Echidna is a wonderful burrower, and, in spite of its 

 small size, can make its way through very hard ground. It 

 can pull up stonef of great size if it can only contrive to insert 

 its paws and find a convenient crevice for them, and is so quick 



