Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-22


down in the scale Of creation-birds, reptiles
and so forth-invariably reproduce their spe-
eies by laying eggs. to be subsequently Matched
and to bring forth offspring. Now, neither Of
these propositions Is correct. In the first place
. very great many OF the animals that are
classed below the mammals bring forth their
young alive. This il the case, in fact, with a
large number Of species. For example, some
of the sharks bear living offspring. There is
even a whole family OF fishes on the California
coast, called the surf fishes which always
bear living young. Also there are not q few
snakes whose young are born alive. and like
wise some lizards. So, you see, 1t is by no
means true that the lower vertebrates are all
egg layers. Nay, more, anumber Of kinds OF
insects bear their young living into the world,
as do the maggots, which drop their progeny
alive in carrion.
RECENT SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY.
"All this has been understood we'll enough
for ever so long, but it was not until within q
very few years that science knew of any excep-
ton to the supposed universal rule that every
mammal brings forth its offspring alive. 1t is
true that the egg Of a certain mammal was
many years ago figured and described by a
competent naturalist, but the assertion seemed
80 incredible that il was not generally believed
Not until the year 1884 did the subject come up
again for serious consideration. when it was es-
tablished beyond dispute that not only one
mammal but whole order of mammals are
thoroughly and incontestably oviparous-thst
Is, egg-laying.
THE DUcK-BILLED PLATYPUs.
'"The best-known mammal of this surprising
kind is the somewhat famous Australian duck
billed platypus, known to science as the 'orni.
thorynchus paradoxus.' This literally para
doxlcal animal was so named in the last century
not from the fact of its egg.laying habit but
because of its astonishing physical structure.
With Tvs fat, horny and toothless beak, like
that Of a duck. its webbed feet. aquatic habits,
stout uncovered BODY small head. short tail
and habit of feeding upon insects, mollusks,
crustacians and worms. the platypus seems ac-
tually a cross between the mammal and the
bird When you consider that 1t lives in streams.
somewhat as does the otter or the muskrat,
burrows in the banks and lays its eggs in
nests built OF grass or such stuff within Its tun-
nels above water mark. you will perceive what
real paradox, from the geological point of
view, this animal g. The eggs it lays resem-
Bile closely turtle eggs, three-fourths of an
inch long by one-half an inch the other way,
and covered by a tough. white. flexible pod.
No satisfactory Information has been obtained
% far respecting the incubation of these eggs,
but there is no doubt that they are Matched
somewhat as hens eggs are, by the warmth Of
the parents body.
THE PoRCUPISE ASTEATER.
"There are many other animals Of this same
order in Australia and Tasmania which have
similar bird-like method OF generating their
young. For example. there is that curious
creature the porcupine anteate:.' which is
about as big as and looks somewhat like the
common hedge hog, being covered with sharp
spines. But the anteater has a long tubular
snout and q worm-like tongue. which it runs
out to catch bugs, ants and other such prey.
Although no such accurate information ex-
tends to the anteater in that respect, it is I'M
doubtedly the case that the female Of this
creature lays eggs likewise.
PEcULfAIITIEs OF THE AUSTRALIAN FAUNA.
"Naturalists for generations past have been
intensely occupied in studying the fauna Of
Australia for the simple reason that the man.
mails found there are, with one or two excep-
tions, not to be discovered anywhere else in
the world They seem TO be exclusively mar
supials-the creatures which carry their young
in pouches and 'monotremes' None Of either
is to be discovered elsewhere earth. save
the opossum, which is a marsupial, exists in
North and South America, and some forms of
the Australian fauna extend into New Guinea.
One funny thing about the mammals of Aus
tralia is that, although they possess nothing
akin TO the mammals OF other continents,
with the exceptions named, they seem to
mimic in an extraordinary fashion the beasts of
countries elsewhere This mimicry extends not
only TO habits, but to the very appearance Of
the creatures. Some of them look like wolves,
others like mice, still others like squirrels or
moles, and SO on While some are carnivorous,
like the wolf abroad, others are insect eaters,
moles are, and others vet are herbivorous,
like sheep. In short these queer animals, SO
unlike those of all other lands seem to try to
initiate IN their ways and appearance those to
which we are accustomed.
CAUSE OF ISOLATION UNKNOWN.
SIT is rather a curious thing to know that in
previous geological epochs the marsupials
were by no means limited in range to Austria
LA Fossil deposits of the Tertiary and Meso-
which, Judging chiefly from the arrangement
and form OF sheir teeth, were evidently pouched
animals- In other words, the marsupial type
IN former ages was cosmopolitan; it was found
commonly IN Europe. Asia and in North and
South America. Why it IL scientific men have
been trying for generations to discover, but no
one yet has been able to find the cause of the
isolation of this description of mammal. As a
matter OF fact, In the conrse of evolution of
species and Of the changes in the earth's crust,
they have been isolated in two groups-one
being the opossum family OF both the Amer
icas and the other the large and varied assor +
ment OF marsupials now peculiar to Australian,
Iasmanian and part Of the Papuan fauna
KINDS OF KANGAROO.
'In this curious liss may be chiefly men
toned the kangaroos. These are of many
kinds, most remarkable among them being the
giant kangaroo, which stands from six to eight
feet high. the rock kangaroo, the tree kangaroo,
kangaroo and others The first of these varie-
ties Is best known Of all the Australian fauna
because OF Its size and lesping power. 1t is
dangerous when brought to bay because, under
such conditions, ii fights with singular
effectiveness, grasping Its assailant with its
Tore feet and ripping his body open with the
great claws that terminate its lower limbs
.'All the small kangaroos are Jumped by the
eolonists in Australia under the name of .whal.
labies,' the big fellows being commonly termed
boomers or foresters.' The 'wombsts' are :
queer tribe Of marsupials in Australia. They
are stout and chunky, like badgers and burrow
and feed upon roots. The flying 'phalangers
live In trees and are very agile. They too are
narsupials and have parachutes like fyins
squirrels, resembling the latter very much
with their long and bushy tails Some of tho
marsupials are among the tiniest of animals
would probably mistake them at glance.
THE ZEBRA WOLF
Another very interesting animal in Austria
liza is the zebra wolf,' which Is . very ferc,
and wolfsh quadruped, resembling . wolf II
shape, of about the same bigness and striped
Ike zebra This creature Is carnivorous ant
very ferocious. Quite as intractable a. tn,
zebra wolf and still uglier is the so-cale.
'Iasmanian dsvil.' which gets its name from
the fact Of it, vicious appearance and temper
To tame one is impossible. IL Is shaped some
what like . baby bear, il two feet long Whe,
full-grovn, black and has q tail.
''One curious marsuplal in Australia il tn
'koala' or native bear 1t 10 an odd beas,
which lives in trees and might suggest q eros
between little bear and an opossum. In de
scribing the fauna Of Australia one should no