A short-spined Echidna (_Echidna setosa_) inhabits Van Diemen’s Land, whose hair is sufficiently long to hide most of the spines, but little is known regarding its habits. Quoy and Gaimard, two French naturalists, kept one for a month, and it took no food, but after that time it began to lap and to eat a mixture of flour, sugar, and water. It burrowed very rapidly, and got to the bottom of a large can full of earth and plants in the course of a few minutes, and it was assisted in this by its snout. [Illustration: MOUTH (A) AND NOSE-SNOUT (B) OF ECHIDNA.] A species of Echidna has been found in the north of the Island of New Guinea, at the Mont des Karous and Mount Arfak, at an altitude in the first place of 1,150 yards. It likes the rocky broken ground, and is unknown on the sea coast. The natives call it “Nokdiak,” and hunt it for the flesh. As the animal burrows well, the natives dig down about a yard in different places, and generally cut across one of the underground runs. It has been described, and has been named after the explorer, M. Brujn. It is more robust and larger than the species from Australia and Van Diemen’s Land, has a very long snout--three times the length of the head--a short tail, and is black in colour with white points. The fur is plentiful, and like velvet, whilst the spines are scanty, and about midway in strength between those of the two Australian kinds. The number of nails on the fore and hind feet is singular in this New Guinea Echidna, for there are three on each instead of five. The tongue of the species is longer and more spiny; moreover, the number of vertebræ differs in this new kind. There are seventeen dorsal instead of fifteen, and there is one caudal more than in the others. The spiny pimples on the tongue and palate, so well developed in this Echidna, have tempted Professor Gervais to include it in a new genus, Acanthoglossus; but it is as well to retain the old name, so that the creature is called Echidna Brujnii. Another species has been found in the south of New Guinea, at Port Moresby, which is distinguished chiefly by the long, thin, cylindrical form of the quills, and the stiff, flat, hair-like bristles on the face. The tint of the flattish bristles covering all the body and limbs, except the back, is brown; on the back are long cylindrical spines, some white and others black. There are five claws to each foot, and the second hind toe is said to be the largest. The fore limbs are short, stout, and strong. It has been named Echidna Lawesii (Ramsay), after its discoverer. All these animals can roll themselves up. THE WATER MOLE, OR DUCK-BILLED PLATYPUS.[131]