I’d Like To Know

Q I heard on a quiz show recently that only two mammals lay eggs – the duck-billed platypus and the echidna. I’d never heard of the latter. Can you please tell me more?

Miss R.W., Paisley. A The echidna, which is found in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea, also goes by the name of spiny anteater, thanks to its quills. Echidnas feed on termites and ants, and the female lays one egg which takes around 10 days to hatch.

The jellybean-sized young, which are called puggles, then suckle in the mother’s pouch for around eight weeks until their spines begin to form, after which they move to a prepared burrow. Like hedgehogs, these shy creatures will curl into a ball for protection when disturbed. Q I’m a huge fan of Michael Palin, but can you settle a niggling debate and tell me if it’s true his name has been misspelled in stone at the Globe Theatre, London?

Mrs E.L., Liverpool.

A

It’s true! The “mistake” was deliberate. Donors to Shakespeare’s Globe were being recognised with their names carved in flagstones and John Cleese paid extra to have fellow “Monty Python” cast member Michael’s surname misspelled “Pallin”.

It’s just as well that Michael, who will be eighty in May, has a good sense of humour!

The comedy legend has branched out into writing, presenting roles and travel documentaries, as well as starring in films. Q Can you tell me why “Camerons” trousers are so called?

Mrs A.F., Stirling.

A They were named after Scottish postal worker Jean Cameron, who argued that she should be permitted to wear trousers given the landscape in which she worked, having “dykes to climb, rocks to be got over” in her 15-mile route. The GPO authorised the wearing of trousers by postwomen in 1941; two years later, 14,000 pairs had been issued.