Morning journal and courier., 1884-11-10
som FITTING NEW.
"A miIk-GIv1ng Animal That Lays
 Eggss

"A mi1k-Glv1ng Animal That Lays
 Eggs.
 From the Philadelphia Timesl
 sswas there anything particularly new de- yeloped at the late meeting of the British scientists at Montreal9'' asked Times writer of naturalist who has been attending the sessions of the American scientists here.
 'sDecidedly there was," replied the man of science cone of the most remarkable dis coveries of the age was made public-and one that is likely to make some decided changes in the theories now held. You have heard of mares nest and of hens teeth; both are intended generally to convey the impression of something highly improbable, and cufiously enough, science shows them to be quite the reverse as birds with teeth have been found in great numbers in the deposits of the West, and the recent discovery an- nounced in Montreal is not much more as- tonishing than would be the statement that @ mare's nest had been discovered that con tained eggs. Why so2 Why, simply be- cause milk giving animal, or one belonging to the same great class of animals as the horse, has been found to lay eggs. after the fashion of the reptile. No, it isn't fish story, we are on mammals now, and the facts are that about twenty years ago or so fa- nous English naturalist, named Bennett, went to Australia tS study fauna, and wrote up the history of the animals called monotremes very thoroughly. "Here are the animals, and the naturalist took two curious creatures from stand. eThey constitute the lowest of the milk-givers. This one, called the ornithorhynchus, or duck-bill, you see, has bill exactly like that of duck, the nostrils being upon the upper side; actual teeth are absent, 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 parts of the bill. The eyes are small and bead-hke, the claws webbed and powerful, and, as you might ex- pect, the creature is swimmer and power ful 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 muskrats, and burrowed into the banks, forming long zig gag caves that ended perhaps thirty feet above it, and perfectly high and dry, and in the end the duck bill formed it's nest of leaves and twigs. Ben nett discovered these nests by punching the ground with sharp sticks, and found quite number, but in very few cases did he discov- CT the young; they were helpless little crea- lures, about two inches long, and it was then supposed that, as in the case of the when born. A few of the natives stated that the duck-bill laid eggs, but as Bennett could not find any, and it seemed preposter- ous to think of, he paid no attention to it, and now, nearly twenty-four years later, it is shown that the natives were correct, as dur ing the session of the section of biology Pro- lessor Mosely the eminent naturalist of the Challenger expedition, it's president, received a cablegram from Professor Liversedge, of Sydney, Australia, to the effect that Profes- sor Caldwell, who had gone out to study the mammals of the country, had made the re- markable discovery that the duck-bills and others of the order were egg layers"
 fFWhat does that prove!" asked the repor- ter.
 t'Well," was the reply, ''naturalists claim that we must look to the am. .Jhibians, the frogs, etc., for the ancestors of the milk-giv- ing animals. but this shows that the mann mals are closely allied to the reptiles. In fact, it's sort of fifteen puzzle for the anat- omists to work at. The duck-bill has many characteristics that are peculiar to birds, as the urinary and genital canals both empty ing into the cloaca, they also have keeled sternum, like some birds. The bill is bird like. They hav3 spur that is connected by canal to quasi poison duct, but Bennett allowed it to 1acerate his flesh and no bad eff fects were noticed. In the skeleton we find 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 a number of pe- c1liarities that make the little creature yer itable what is it of science. When he was studying them Dr. Bennett kept several as pets, and the curious little creatures were ca, silly domestieated and very mild and gentle. They were very curious amusing themselves by climbing over chairs and reaching the top of bookcases by pushing their backs against the wall and gradually lifting themselves up. ! They would crawl over his lap, stick their duck-like bills into his pockets, and in hundred ways show their sociability Eve Pv Qt tO fol f1 EUT and number of specimens were taken and kept on food that they would have to eat on l the trip and after their arrival in Europe, but it was not successful. With the anti eating monotreme, however, there was little or no trouble, and one was kept for a long time in the London Geological Garden. ''1n appearance, as you see, the Echidna 1 looks like hedghog, only it is much larger than these animals grow. It is protected with complete coat of spines; the beak is horny but instead of being flat, as in the duck-bi1l, it is tubular and having small opening for the slender tongue that is thrust out to capture ants. Their feet are not webbed, as the animal never goes near the water; but they are powerful and clawed, and it is said that in ten minutes the little creature will dig a hole that will completely cover itself from view. They are perfectly harmless, unless taken up roughly, when the quills become erect and are dangerous weap- ons. The specimen in the London Geological Gardens was usually carried about by his hind legs. No. These animals have never been brought to this country alive, but in the Philadelphia Academy of Sciences seve- ral fine specimens are, I believe, exhibited, and in the Museum of Natural History, Gen. tral Park, New York, there is group of the animals, representing them in all sorts of po- sitions, showing the cave, nest and all com plete."