Natural history of animals; . Fig. 99. —Wombat. Fig. 100. — Skull of Wombat. The Wombat is a curious Australian animal, three feetlong. Its habits are not unlike those of the Wood-chuck : it feeds upon grass, and burrows in the ground. MONOTREMES. These are animals which vary much from all otherMammals, having their organic structure in some re-spects much like that of Birds. They belong to Aus-tralia and adjacent islands. One of the most interesting. Fig. 101. —Duckbill, or Platypus. kinds is called the Duckbill, or sometimes muzzle is flat and appears very much like that of aDuc
Natural history of animals; . Fig. 99. —Wombat. Fig. 100. — Skull of Wombat. The Wombat is a curious Australian animal, three feetlong. Its habits are not unlike those of the Wood-chuck : it feeds upon grass, and burrows in the ground. MONOTREMES. These are animals which vary much from all otherMammals, having their organic structure in some re-spects much like that of Birds. They belong to Aus-tralia and adjacent islands. One of the most interesting. Fig. 101. —Duckbill, or Platypus. kinds is called the Duckbill, or sometimes muzzle is flat and appears very much like that of aDuck, its legs are short, its feet webbed, and its body is 72 VERTEBRATES : BIRDS. covered with short, brown fur. It is less than two feetlong, lives about ponds and streams, and digs burrowsin the banks. Its young are born from eggs whichit lays in its burrows. The only other member ofthis group, the Spiny Ant-eater of New Guinea, laysan egg which it carries in its pouch until hatched. BIRDS. Of all animals, perhaps, none are more interesting toboth young and old than Birds. Their presence in thefields and hedges, the groves and forests, their beau-tiful and splendid colors, their sweet songs, and theircurious and wonderful habits, charm and delight all. Birds are egg-laying vertebrates which are coveredwith feathers, furnished with a bill, and fitted forflight, — their form as well as their structure beingadapted for easy and rapid movement
Size: 1806px × 1383px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1895
