EARLY DAYS AND EARLY WAYS ii 



larger carnivores has largely depended on the existence 

 of the ungulates. But be that as it may, the carnivores 

 are there, constantly harassing their more or less defence- 

 less prey. And so it has come about that, partly because 

 the ungulates must of necessity be nomads, and partly 

 because at times the whole herd must take to its heels 

 and run, their young must either be portable, or able 

 to run with the rest. The latter expedient has naturally 

 proved to be the more advantageous. 



But even here we meet with exceptions to the rule. 

 Thus with the deer, which are typically forest-haunting 

 animals, and therefore less nomadic, the young are helpless 

 for some days after birth, but they can be, and are, hidden 

 away in thickets. A comparison between a fawn and a 

 foal will bring home this fact at once. There is a vast 

 contrast in their relative size and degree of activity. 



But let us examine this matter of the care of the young 

 a little more closely, starting first of all with such as are 

 borne day and night by the female, till they can fend 

 for themselves, or approach that stage of independence. 

 Curiously enough, this custom is met with among one of 

 the lowliest of living mammals — the spiny ant-eater, or 

 echidna, which carries a pair of eggs in a pouch answering 

 to that of the kangaroo. In this particular case, however, 

 we do not certainly know how long after hatching the 

 offspring are kept in the pouch. The marsupials afford 

 numerous and diverse instances of pouch-borne young. 

 The kangaroos, wallabies, and rat-kangaroos always 

 carry their young in the pouch until they are of con- 

 siderable size, and quite able to take care of themselves. 

 But one young is born at a time, and the pouch forms 

 a most capacious pocket. Occasionally, however, it is 

 said that a second young one is born before the first has 



