1885.] MR. O. THOMAS ON THE RACES OF ECHIDNA. 329 



p. 277, 1837> toward a complete monograph, "Muscular System of 

 Aptenjx." 



If Prof. Ray Lankester should find time to refer to Trans. Zool. 

 Soc. vol. ii. p. 271, which he deems to testify to the error he kindly 

 proposes to rectify, he may find sufficient ground for the present Note. 



I beg to express my obligation for his endeavour to expose the 

 strange blunder into which the Professor supposes me to have fallen. 



3. Notes on the Characters of the different Races of Echidna. 

 By Oldfield Thomas^ F.Z.S.^ Natural History Museum. 



[Eeceived March 10, 1885.] 

 (Plates XXIII.,XXIV.) 



Through the kindness of Prof. Moscley, the Natural History 

 Museum has obtained a female specimen, collected by the Rev. W. G. 

 Lawes, of the New-Guinea Echidna described in 1877 by Mr. E. 

 Pierson Ramsay of Sydney as E. lawesi ; and, in the process of 

 working out and making notes upon this interesting animal, I have 

 obtained such a series of specimens of various sorts, that I find myself 

 able to offer some uotes on the characters of the different races of 

 Echidna, and on their relations one to another. 



Of the large series of specimens examined I would especially draw 

 attention to: — (1) A second individual of Echidna lawesi, also 

 collected by Mr. Lawes, and lent to me by the authorities of the 

 Liverpool Museum, to whose Curator, Mr. T. J. Moore, I beg to 

 offer my sincere thanks for the loan ; and (2) the typical specimens, 

 belonging to the Christiania Museum, of the species described by 

 Dr. Robert Collett in this year's ' Proceedings ' as Echidna acanthion, 

 which have been kindly lent to me by that gentleman. I must 

 also offer my thanks to Dr. J. G. Garson, of the Royal College of 

 Surgeons, Dr. Liitken and Dr. Winge, of the Copeuhagen Museum, 

 Dr. r. A. Jentink, of Leyden, and Prof. A. Dubois, of Brussels, 

 either for the loan of specimens, or for measurements, drawings, and 

 other particulars kindly forwarded me by letter. 



It was very early perceived, in fact by Sir Everard Home in 1802', 

 that the Tasmanian Echidna was different in many respects, especially 

 in the characters of its external covering, from that found on the 

 mainland ; but authors have not agreed as to the value to be attached 

 to the characters of the two forms, some considering them to be 

 quite distinct species, while others have thought them to be only 

 climatic races, and others again have treated them as one, without 

 taking any note of the differences that are undoubtedly present 

 between them. 



To estimate the value of these differences, to compare with the 

 long-known southern and central forms the recently described 

 E. lawesi and E, acanthion, and to show what differences are due re- 

 spectively to age, sex, geographical distribution, and climate, are the 

 chief objects of the present paper. 



1 Pbil. Trans. 1802, p. 348, pis. x. & xiii. 



