The Australian Monotremes

Abstract

WITH reference to the existence of Tachyglossus (olim Echidna) in North Australia, and the recent discovery of one (or possibly two) species in New Guinea, the following account, which I lighted on a few evenings ago, when looking over an old volume of the field, seems to be of sufficient interest to warrant its transfer to the pages of NATURE. The account in question occurs in an article “A Week at Plain Creek, Queensland”, by Mr. E. B. Kennedy, which appeared in the issue of that journal for September 20, 1873. It runs as follows:—“. . . Whilst so engaged we heard our dogs making a tremendous noise, high up the bank in the scrub, and upon going to ascertain the cause found them scratching, yelling, and pulling at a porcupine which was half imbedded in a hole; we were at least ten minutes digging him out with sharp-pointed sticks, such was his tenacity in holding on and burrowing. The quills were not nearly so long as the Cape of Good Hope species (of course a true Hystrix), and he differed from that quadruped in having a sort of beak instead of a regular jaw.” It is to be regretted that Mr. Kennedy did not preserve his specimen, which was ultimately cooked and eaten! I should have mentioned that Plain Creek lies in 21 lat. S., so that this is certainly the northernmost locality on the Australian continent, where we have certain knowledge that the Echidna occurs. As we now know that many North Australian species of birds range also into southern New Guinea, it would hardly be surprising if the Tachyglossus of the Fly River and south New Guinea were nothing more than the well-known Tachyglossus hystrix. It is to be hoped that this point may soon be solved by the arrival, of specimens from both localities.