The Megaiheriuyn a Species of Armadillo. 311 



In fine, when we know that M. d'Orbigny has observed 6960 

 species of animals, the amount of those contained in his cata- 

 logues, which are prepared with a degree of care deserving of 

 all confidence, it seems just to conclude, that having visited, not 

 in a cursory manner, but residing for a longer or shorter period 

 in each, countries till then imperfectly or altogether unknown, 

 the number of new species he has obtained must be very consi- 

 derable, especially among the mammiferae, birds, and hexapod 

 insects, as well as among fishes and fresh-water shells. 



Before hearing the Report on Geology, which will be read by 

 M. Cordier, we may add, that M. d'Orbigny did not neglect 

 fossil organic bodies. Thus we have seen, with much interest, 

 unquestionable examples of melaniae from very old water depo- 

 sits, as well as trilobites. We have noticed among the collec- 

 tions only one ammonite, but no belemnite ; but in the tertiary 

 and quaternary deposits, he found the remains of carnivorous 

 and gnawing animals, which he supposes, perhaps rather hastily, 

 to be different from those now existing. He has shewn us a 

 coloured drawing of the half of an under jaw, still retaining the 

 teeth, of a great species of Mastodon ; and he had previously 

 sent, some years before his return, a tibia and the molar teeth 

 of that gigantic animal (Megatherium), which has been erro- 

 neously conjectured to be a species of sloth, but which, in 

 reality, is a true species of armadillo, about the size of a small 

 elephant. The occurrence of these remains, it may be remarked, 

 overturns the hypothesis of Buffon, that America had never sup- 

 ported animals of larger size than the tapir *. 



Description of Drawing of Machinery for Registering the Va- 

 riations of the Tide and Windf. By Charles Atherton, 

 Civil Engineer ; Resident Engineer, Dean Bridge Works, 

 Edinburgh. With a Plate. 



Upon the occurrence of extraordinary circumstances that oc- 

 casionally attend the flow of the tide, causing it so far to depart 

 from the ordinary course of nature, as to engage the particular 

 attention of scientific observers, it is generally a subject of deep 



■ Nouvelles Annales des Museum d'Histoire Naturelle, t. iii. p. 84. 

 t Read before the Society of Arts 19th January 1831. 



