AN EGG-LAYING MAMMAL 
Echidna moves with a shuffling gait and walks badly 
upon the sides of its feet. This is precisely the way in 
which the Myrmecophaga walks, and in both cases the 
habit has at least the result of preserving unimpaired 
the sharp claws so necessary to dig down the foundations 
of ant-hills. Everybody knows nowadays that this 
mammal lays eggs. And furthermore as in other egg- 
laying vertebrates, the young, when ready for hatching, 
has a knob on its snout which enables it to break the 
shell and emerge into the world. When it does emerge 
it is still taken care of by the mother, who keeps it in her 
pouch for certain time, and afterwards allows its out 
for a run and at stated intervals picks it up again and 
puts it in the pouch to be fed. When the mother in- 
tends to rove far she thinks of her infant and places 
it securely in a burrow dug for the purpose. It is a 
very interesting fact that an abundance of termites 
in various parts of the world has resulted in the modi- 
cation of such diverse types of animals for their en- 
joyment. The Echidna was made for the termites, not 
the termites for the Echidna. 
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