136 Perkins^ Remarks on Fossil Bones. 



son of the figure of the tooth of Mylodon, in the Penny Cy- 

 clopedia, (and this is the only figure of the tooth I have been 

 able to find,) with that found in the Medical and Physical 

 Researches, this opinion would seem to have been erroneous. 

 Whether the tooth figured by me does or does not belong to 

 Mylodon, it appears to be essentially different, in form and 

 structure, from that of the Megalonyx ; and as the teeth 

 found among the fossils described by Dr. Harlan are said '' to 

 be very similar to those of the Megalonyx," I am left in doubt 

 whether my tooth and humerus belonged to the same animal, 

 and know of no means of removing this uncertainty, until an 

 opportunity presents of comparing them together, or examin- 

 ing the tooth by the light of Owen's Odontography. 



One word in reference to the dentate vertebra spoken of in 

 the American Journal. Although I have only the body of 

 the vertebra, which has left upon it, however, the roots of the 

 transverse processes, I believe the foramen for the passage of 

 the spinal marrow must have been much larger than it ap- 

 pears to have been in the vertebrae of the Orycterotherium ; 

 and from its strong resemblance in form and size to that of 

 the Elephant, I would now refer it to the fossil species of this 

 genus. 



The fragments of bone belonging to the extremities of 

 some gigantic animal, to which I referred in the Journal, I 

 had hoped, ere this, to have formed some definite opinion 

 upon ; this however, for the want of proper facihties, I have 

 been unable to accomplish. It is my intention to exhibit the 

 collection before the Association of American Geologists, at 

 their next meeting, in April, when, without doubt, they will 

 all be assigned to their appropriate places. 

 Very respectfully yours, 



Henry C. Perkins, M. D. 



Boston, Jan. 25, 1842. 



