134 On Mastodontoid and Megatherioid Animals. 



which till then had been far beyond reach. After shewing 

 that from the natural inversion of the hind-feet the Mylodon 

 approached to the scansorial animals, and thence inferring 

 that it might have had climbing powers necessarily much 

 limited by the other parts of its frame, Professor Owen states 

 that the inversion of the soles of the feet is least conspicuous 

 in the Megatherium, whose bulk and strength would be ad- 

 equate to the prostration of trees too large for the efforts of 

 the Mylodon, Megalonyx, and Scelidotherium. The Mega- 

 therium, in short, was the mighty tree-drawer, and had there- 

 fore no need of the adventitious aid of any climbing appara- 

 tus. Allow me to add, that, amongst other reasonings, those 

 which lead to conclusions that one class of megatherioid ani- 

 mals was furnished with a hairy coating (like the Mylodon), 

 whilst another, like the great Megatherium, was devoid of it, 

 as evidenced by slight modifications of the bony structure 

 of the hind-feet, appear to me to be not the least original 

 and interesting. 



Wholly incapable, as I am, to do justice to this masterly 

 inquiry by the necessarily brief allusion which is imposed upon 

 me by the nature of this discourse, I shall best execute my 

 task in quoting the words with which Professor Owen sums 

 up his reasoning. 



" On the Newtonian rule, therefore, this theory has the best 

 claim to acceptance ; it is, moreover, str.ictly in accordance 

 with, as it has been suggested by, the ascertained anatomy of 

 the very remarkable extinct animals, whose business in a for- 

 mer world it professes to explain. And the results of the fore- 

 going examination, comparisons and reasonings on the fossils 

 proposed to be described, may be summed up as follows. All 

 the characteristics which exist in the skeleton of the Mylodon 

 and Megatherium, conduce and concur to the production of 

 the forces requisite for uprooting and prostrating trees ; of 

 which characteristics, if ani/ one were wanting, the effect could 

 not be produced : this, therefore, and no other mode of obtain- 

 ing food, is the condition of the sum of such characteristics, 

 and of the concourse of so great forces in one and the same 

 animal.'' 



