530 A DESCRIPTION of 



degree of flexion, and the claw could readily move fo as 

 to form a right angle with the other phalanx. 



The bone repiefented by No. 5 has a ftrong refemblance 

 to the metataifal bone which fupports the little toe, in the 

 human fiibje£t — its bafe has an articulating iurface for the 

 tarfus — the internal fide is fmooth for articulation with the 

 adjoining-bone, but externally it projefts outwards fo as to 

 refcmble greatly the bone above mentioned. The extre- 

 mity conneded with the toes has an oblong form, and its 

 greatefl length is vertical, fo as to be analogous to the ridge 

 on the metacarpal bone No. i. As this bone is evidently 

 metatarfal, and very different in form and length from the 

 others, 1 am induced to believe that the others are meta- 

 carpal. 



From the fliortnefs of the metacarpal bone, and the 

 form and arrangement of the other bones of the paw, and 

 alfo from the form of the folitary metatarfal bone, it feema 

 probable that the animal did not walk on the toes, /'/ is al- 

 Jo evident that the lajl phalanx was not retracted. The 

 particular form of No. 2, and its connedtion with the me- 

 tatarfal hone, and with No. 3, mufl have produced a pe- 

 culiar fpecies of flexion in the toes, which, combined with 

 the greater flexion of the laft phalanx upon the fecond, 

 muff have enabled the animal to turn the claws under the 

 foal of his feet ; from this view of the fiibjed; there feems 

 to have been fome analogy between the foot of this ani- 

 mal and thofe of the bradypus — having no ipecimens of 

 ihat animal I derive this conclufion from the defcription of 

 its feet given by M. Daubenton. "^ 



Notwkhftanding a general refemblance, they differ in 

 fome important points — In the floth the figure of the 

 metacarpal bone was fuch that M. Daubenton could not 

 determine from it, whether the bone belonged to the me- 

 tacarpus or the phalanges — but there could be no doubt as 

 to thefe bones, for they are unequivocally metacarpal or 



metatarfal 



