EXTINCT ANIMALS 



bones in the skin, but this was not jointed so 

 that they could roll up into a ball, as can the 

 living armadilloes. 



The Megatherium (Fig. 121) was nearly as big 

 as an elephant, and was very closely similar in its 

 skeleton and teeth to the httle living sloths of 

 to-day. But it stood on the ground and pulled 

 the trees down in order to eat the tender young 

 branches instead of cUmbing up into the trees 

 and living there as the present sloths do. 



Not quite so big as the Megatherium was the 

 Mylodon, which Uved at the same time. The 

 remains of both are found in the comparatively 

 recent (Pleistocene) gravels of the Argentine 

 Republic. The skeletons of these animals may 

 be seen side by side in the Natural History 

 Museum. 



In Fig. 122 is represented the skeleton of the 

 Mylodon, and just above it, for comparison, is 

 placed the photograph of the skeleton of the 

 two-toed sloth. The relative sizes of the two 

 are shown and the sloth's skeleton is placed in 

 the same position as that of the extinct Mylodon, 

 although in life it is always hanging from the 

 branches of trees and never goes on all fours on 

 the ground. 



172 



