S. Mis. 53. 19 



Remains of another species found in North America, were described 

 by Dr. Harlan, but were erroneously referred to the Megalomjx. Dr. 

 Leidy, in his memoir, describes the collection of the remains of this 

 animal belonging to the New York Lyceum. 



The Megatherium, which is the largest of all the extinct sloth tribe, 

 when full grown, w^as more than fourteen feet long, mcluding the tail, 

 and eight teet high. It was first discovered in South America, but 

 has since been found in Georgia; and it was from this locality, the 

 only one in the United States yet known, that the remains described 

 by Dr. Leidy were obtained. 



The fourth and new genus of American sloths, called the Eriptodon 

 by the author, is established upon a peculiar l"orm of teeth which be- 

 longed to an animal of about the size of tlic Megalomjx, the bones of 

 which were also found in Georgia. 



Dr. Hays, one of the commission to which this memoir was sub- 

 mitted, remarks in his report, that " the author has not only made 

 valuable additions to our knowledge of an interesting tribe of animals, 

 but has also collected and arranged the facts previously known so as 

 to throw new light on the subject, and to render his memoir an im- 

 portant starting point lor future investigators." 



Grammar of the Choctaw language, — The publication of the volume 

 on the Dakota language, described in the last report, has called forth 

 another important memoir on comparative philology, namely, a gram- 

 mar of the Choctaw language, by the Rev. Harvey Byington, for thkty 

 years a missionary among the Indians. 



It was referred for examination to Professor Felton, of Cambridge, 

 and to Professor Gibbs, of Yale College, both of whom pronounced it 

 an important addition to ethnology, and warmly recommended its 

 publication. The work was afterwards placed in the hands of Pro- 

 fessor W. W. Turner, formerly Professor of Hebrew in the New York 

 Theological Seminary, now librarian of the United States I'aleut OIHce. 

 Previous to sending it to the press, the author, alter numerous inter- 

 views with Professor Turner, concluded that his memoir was suscep- 

 tible of so much improvement by a farther study of the language, that 

 he asked leave to withdraw it for a time. This request was of course 

 granted, and Mr. Byington has returned to his missionar}'^ labors, and will 

 again present the work after it has received the desired improvements 



Reports and other minor imhlications. — Since the date of the last re- 

 iport to the Regents, the following articles have been printed and 

 partially distributed : 



1. Directions for making collections in natural history. This is a 

 pamphlet of twenty-lour pages, by Prolbssor Btdrd, and is much cidled 

 ibr by the correspondents of the Institution. 



2. A work by Professor Jewett, containing an exposition of the sys- 

 tem adopted by the Smithsonian lnstituti(jn for constructing catalogues 

 of libraries, by means of separate stereotype titles, with rules I'or the 

 guidance of librarians, ;md examples for ilhistratiim. This work is 

 comprised in seventy-eight pages, and though not large, it has been 

 produced at the expense of much time and labor. 



3. A second emission of the report on the recent improvements in 

 the chemical arts has been printed, and in part distributed. This work 



