The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1884-10-01
A scIENrIFIc MARVEL.


a milk Giving Animal That Lays Eggs
Like n Reptile.
New York Mail and Express
''0ne of the most remarkable discoveries OF
the age was made public at the scientific
meeting in Montreal recently" said nat
uraIist, land one that is likely 10 make some
decided changes in theories now held. You
have heard CT mares nest ard of :hen's
teeth; both are intended generally to con-
vey the impression OF something highly
improbable, and. curiOusly enough, science
shows them TO be quite the reverse, as birds
with teeth have been found in great num-
beTs in the deposits OF the West and the
recent discovery announced in Montreal is
not much more astonishing than would be
the statement that a mares nest had been
discovered that contained eggs.
EGo-LAYING MILK GIvERs.
'Why so? Why simply because a milk
giving animal or one belonging to the same
great class of animals the horse, has been
found to lay eggs after the fashion of rep
tile. No, it isn't fish story; We are on man.
mails now, and the facts are that twenty
years ago or so famous English naturalist
named Bennett went to Australia to study the
fauna and wrot6 up the history of the animals
called monotremes very thoroughly. Here
are the animals, and the naturalist took
down two curious creatures from q stand.
They constitute the lowest of the milk
giVers. This one, called the OrDithorhyn-
chus. or duck-bill. you see. has a bill ex-
actly ike that of duck, the nostrils being
upon the upper side; actual teeth are alb
sent but instead the duck-bill has four
horny projections that serve as teeth; they
have no roots or anything of the kind, and
are merely part OF the bill. The eyes
are small and bead-like, the claws webbed
and powerful, and, as you might expect,
the creature is q swimmer and power
full digger. and from this habit Bennett had
much difficulty in studying them, but he
found that they lived in the water, much as
do our mUsk-rats, and burrowed into the
banks forming long zig-zag caves that ended
perhaps thirty feet above il and perfectly
high and dry, and in the end the duck bill
formed its nest of leaves and twigs. Bennett
discovered these nests by punching the
ground with sharp sticks, and found quite
number, but in very few cases did he discover
the young; then they were helpless little crea-
lures, about two inches long, and it was then
supposed that, as in the case of the mar
supials, the young were rudimenIary when
born. A few of the natives stated that the
duck bill laid eggs, but as Bennett coRld not
find any, and 1t seemed pTeposterOus to
think of, he paid no attention to il, and
now, nearly twenty years later, il is shown
that the native. were correct. as during the
session of the section of biology Professor
Mosely, the eminent naturalist of the Cnal-
leDgeT expedition, its President, received a
cablegram from Professor Liversedge. of
Sydney, Australia. to the affect that Profess
sor Caldwell, who bad gone out to study the
mammals OF the country, had made the
remarkable discovery that the duck-bills and
others of the order were egg-layers."
PUZZLE FOR THE ANTAGONISTS.
"Whst does this proven asked the re.
porter
We'll" was the reply, "naturalists claim
that we must look to the amphibians. as the
frogs etc, Tor the ancestors OF the mllk-giv-
ing animals, but this shows that the NAM
mails are closely allied to the reptiles. In
fact, it's sort of q fifteen puzzle for the ana
tomists to work at The duck-bili has many
characteristics that are peculiar to birds as
the urinary and genital canals both empty
ing into the cloaca; they also have a keeled
sternum, like some birds. The bill is bird
like. They have a spur that is connected by
canal to quasi poison duct but Bennett
allowed it to lacerate his flesh, and no bad
effects we're noticed. In the skeleton we
fDd sternal osseous ribs, as in the birds,
and in the skull of the adult there are no
sutures to be seen. In fact, there are
number OF pecullarlties that make the little
creature a veritable what is it of science.
When be was studying them, DR.. Bennett
kept several as pets, and the cursious little
creatures were domesticated, and we're very
mild and gentle. They were very curious,
amusing themselves by climbing over chairs
and reaching the top Of bookcases by push
ing their backs against the wall and gradu-
ally lifting themselves up. They would
crawl over his lap, stick their duck-like bills
in his pockets, and in hundred ways show
their sociabilitv. Every attempt was made
to take them to Europe, and a number OF
specimens were taken and kept on food that
they would have to eat on the trip and after
their arrival in London. but it was not sue
| cessful. With the ant-eating monotreme,
however, there was little or no trouble, and
one was kept for long time in the London
| Geological Garden.
"In appearance, as you see, the echidna
| looks like hedgehog, only it is much larger
! than those animals grow. 1t is protected
with complete coat of spines; the beak is
borney, but instead of being fat as is the
| duek-bill, it is tubular and having small
opening for the slender tongue that is
| thrust out to capture ants. Their feet are
not webbed, rs the animal never goes near
the water, but they powerful and
/ clawed, and it is said that in ten minutes
the little creature will dig hole that will
completely cover itself from view. They
/ are perfectly harmless unless taken up
/ roughly, when the quilts become erect and
are dangerous weapons. The specimen in
| the London Geological Gardens was usually
carried about by its hind legs. No, these
animals have never been brought to this
| country alive. but in the Philadelphia Acad
| envy of Sciences several tine specimens are,
| ! believe, exhibited, and in the Museum of
| Natural History, Central Park, there is
| group of the animals, representing them in
all sorts Of positions, showing the cave, nest
and all complete"