1632 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



sketches of the Australian species now or recently exhibited here, and illustrate many of 

 them with photographs taken by him in Australia. 



Mr. Le Soeuf is a man of charming personality and successful habit. He visited 

 and lectured in America about eight years ago, and thereby greatly strengthened the bonds 

 of interest between the zoologists of his country and ours. He is the author of books on 

 the wild life of Australia that are at once deeply interesting and thoroughly reliable. The 

 titles of those best known are "Wild Life in Australia" (London, 1907), and "The Ani- 

 mals of Australia," by A. H. S. Lucas and W.H. Dudley Le Souef (London, 1909). 



This collection of sketches xc-ill be followed by another in the issue of the Bulletin 

 for September, which will illustrate the most interesting kangaroos, phalangers, marsupial 

 mice and others. — W. T. H . 



AUSTRALIA'S MOST REMARKABLE MAMMALS 



Based on the Collections of the New York Zoological Park 

 By W. H. D. Le Souef 

 Director Zoological Gardens, Melbourne 

 Author of "The Mammals of Australia," "Wild Life of Australia," etc. 



THE ECHIDNA 



OF these most interesting animals, the Ech- 

 idnas, or as they usually are called in 

 Australia, Porcupine Anteater, there are 

 three species, namely, that found in New 

 Guinea, (Echidna lawesii), about fourteen inch- 

 es in length, which has short spines; the Brown 

 Echidna, (E. setosa) from Tasmania, with long 

 hair almost concealing the spines, and the Aus- 

 tralian form, (/•,'. aculeata) which is slightly 

 larger than the New Guinea species, being 

 about seventeen inches long and without as 

 much hair as the Tasmanian species. 



These animals live entirely on the ground 

 and their food consists of small insects, and, 

 especially termites and ants, which they easily 

 can obtain by digging with their powerful claws 

 into the ants' nests or termites' mounds. The 

 tongue, which is covered with sticky saliva, is 

 then protruded, and when covered with ants is 

 drawn back into the mouth. In captivity they 

 are fed on finely chopped raw meat, eggs and 

 milk. They have no true teeth, but have small 

 spines at the back of the tongue. The tail is 

 rudimentary and the feet short and strong. 

 When in danger, the animal rolls itself up some- 

 thing like a hedgehog. The sharp spines not 

 only are presented to its enemy, but also are 

 stuck into the ground, making it harder to lift 

 up. 



The only way it can be carried conveniently 

 is by grasping it by its bind feet, so that its 

 head hangs down. It can dig in any hard soil 

 by the aid of the spines as well as by the strong 

 claws, and it is remarkable how quickly it seems 

 to sink into the ground. It also can hold so 



tightly to the soil that it is only with difficulty 

 that it can be raised, even by the aid of a spade 

 or strong stick. It also is very difficult to dis- 

 lodge from the corner of a room, and can climb 

 over almost any wire fence and also out of any 

 ordinary box at the corners, and unless the lid 

 is very firmly nailed on. will push it oft, and get 

 through a very small aperture. The strength of 

 the animal is astonishing, and even if tightly 

 fastened by a cord around one of its hind lens. 

 is almost certain to get it off. 



These animals generally hibernate during the 

 winter; usually under the surface of the ground, 

 and frequently by a rock or rising ground. It 

 is at this time that the egg is laid and the young 

 hatched. The shell of the egg is soft and not 

 calcified, and measures about half an inch. The 

 mother by rolling herself up helps to protect 

 the young which are in her pouch, and as the 

 female has no nipples the young one when 

 hatched has to lick the milk from the folds in 

 the pouch. The young Echidna leaves the 

 pouch just as the spines begin to appear, and 

 when it is a little over three inches long. The 

 pouch then gradually disappears until the next 

 breeding season. Like the kangaroo, it is very 

 rarely that two young are born. These animals 

 are more or less nocturnal, as are nearly all the 

 Australian animals. 



THE PLATYPUS 

 The Duck-Billed Platypus. (Omithorhynchus 

 anatinus) is of great interest. It is found in 

 the rivers of Tasmania and eastern Australia. 

 except the extreme north. Like the echidna, it 

 belongs to the egg-laying Order Monotremata, 



