THE ANNALS 
AND 
MAGAZINE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 
[THIRD SERIES. ] 
No. 80. AUGUST 1864. 
IX.—Observations on the various Species of Glyptodon in the 
Public Museum of Buenos Ayres. By Hermann BuRMEISTER, 
M.D., Ph.D. &e.* 
Tue soil of the province of Buenos Ayres is one of the richest 
deposits of fossil bones on the surface of the globe. Considering 
that the existing specimens, of intrinsic and of scientific value, had 
almost all been transferred to European museums, and that it 
would be an easy task to found a more precious collection in 
Buenos Ayres, if the national administration should interest 
itself in the preservation of the natural treasures, I accepted 
the invitation which, through the medium of the Prussian Mi- 
nister, Herr von Gulich, the Supreme Government sent to me 
during the time of the administration of Senor Sarmiento. 
As Director of the Public Museum, I resolved to devote myself 
exclusively in future to the study of the natural productions of 
Buenos Ayres and of the other Argentine provinces. During the 
two years that I have been occupied in this new employment, 
the Museum of Buenos Ayres has completely changed its con- 
tents: I have arranged them in the European manner, as the 
collections exist in that part of the world; and I have, up to 
this time, introduced so many new specimens of fossil bones, 
that, withont exaggeration, it may be said that no European 
museum is more rich in these than that of Buenos Ayres. To 
prove the correctness of this statement, I shall publish, from 
time to time, notices and scientific descriptions of the principal 
specimens, commencing with our skeleton of Glyptodon, which, 
* Translated from the ‘ Revista Farmacéutica de la Sociedad de Farmacia 
nacional arjentina,’ 1863-64, by C. Carter Blake, F.G.S., F.A.S.L. [The 
translator has had the advantage of a copy in which Dr. Burmeister has 
introduced many manuscript corrections into the original Spanish printed 
text, and of illustrative photographs and pencil drawings of the specimens. | 
Ann. & Mag. N, Hist. Ser. 3. Vol. xiv. 6 
