130 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



monstrous production of nature, is fully demon- 

 strated by the well defined characters of the jaws 

 and teeth, as well as by the harmonious adapta- 

 tion of its various parts. It is further, not in the 

 least degree fossilized, nor does it appear to have 

 been totally buried in the ground, inasmuch as 

 one side of the jaw has been bleached by expo- 

 sure to the sun. 



The first question which presents itself for so- 

 lution is, from whence came the animal ? are we 

 to consider it as the type of a genus which has 

 become extinct and yet not fossil ? or does it 

 owe its present locality to accident, having been 

 brought from some distant and unexplored coun- 

 try, and heretofore escaped the eye of the natu- 

 ralist? 



The present existing genera to which it is most 

 nearly allied, being known to inhabit only Europe 

 and America, would militate against the latter 

 opinion, and induce us to believe, that this animal 

 did inhabit the countries near which its remains 

 were first discovered, its residence like that of 

 the beaver, being on the banks of rivers. 



The skull being recent, and not in the least de- 

 composed, the animal could not have been long 

 dead when first discovered. It is most probable 

 that in the instance before us, we are presented 

 with the remains of the type of a genus which has 

 become extinct since the settlement of North 

 America, or if it still exists has recreated to the 



