416 



DR. J. MT7EIE ON THE SKTJLL OP 



mals, of the skulls in question ; and it is to be noted that those 

 in the first two columns are from less mature animals than the 

 succeeding three. 



Admeasurements of Echidna crania. 



Catalogue numbers of skulls... 1705 a. 1708 a. 1708 b. 1705. 1704 a. Queens- New-G-uinea 



land. coast. 



Extreme length 3-G 3-8 3 9 4-1 415 4-2 7-9 



Extreme breadth (temporo-pa- T ^.g |.g j.g -j^.^ 2"3 



rietal region) i 



Greatest vertical height 1-35 14 14 145 14 1-27 1-9 



From tip of beak to front of | j^.g j.q j.g 2-1 0-15 2 I 5-1 



orbit J 



Now it will be seen that there is a nearly uniform relative pro- 

 portion between the five skulls and that from Queensland, as can 

 be distinguished from the Nevv-Gruinea cast in the right-hand 

 column. Nay, it is hard to point out any characters, irrespective 

 of similarity of dimensions, to separate the skulls, whether from 

 Tasmania, New South Wales, or Queensland. For example, the 

 closest inspection of the so-called serosa (No. 1708 b), from 

 Tasmania, shows, one would say, perfect agreement in most de- 

 tails with Capt. Armit's Queensland specimen, though the former 

 to the eye seems a shorter, broader, higher skull, with a slightly 

 fuller temporal region, than does the latter. Again, the male 

 skulJ of the E. hystrix (No. 1708 a), has somewhat shorter prae- 

 and postpalatine fissures than 1708 b ; questionably a matter of 

 age or sex, though both are not from old animals. In 1704 a the 

 anterior condyloid foramina are open and the palatine region 

 generally broadish. In No. 1705, evidently a thoroughly old skull, 

 judging from its solid osseous texture, both orbito-frontal and 

 parieto- occipital regions are ample. 



The female Queensland skull, almost exactly of the same length 

 as those numbered 1705 and 1704 a, is barely appreciably nar- 

 rower across the cerebral area, but decidedly lower in the same 

 region. AAThether this List feature is a matter of sex (it being 

 from an adult female) or a tendency to variation, I am unable to 

 say. At all events, it is a feature so trifling in its way that no 

 argument can be drawn therefrom. 



The lower jaw of this same Queensland skull is a pefect coun- 

 terpart of those of E. hystrix and E. setosa compared. 



It would be but a reiteration of the statements of Prof. W. 



