SVENSKA EXPEDITIONEN TILL MAGELLANSLÄNDERNA. BD. II. N:0 7. 1 67 



a third for the shrinkage has been aboirfc one meter when 

 the aniraal lived. But to this must be' added the dimensions 

 of the missing pieces. How luucli that lias been, is impos- 

 sible to know, but when it is mutilated in both directions, 

 I do not think that it ean be regarded as improbable that 

 the height has been abont 130 — 140 ein. in all. It does not 

 seem wrong to assume this addition in height when we con- 

 sider that the upper margin of this skin is not very rieh in 

 ossicles compared with the small piece. Bnt it is probable 

 that the skin on the back has been most richly provided with 

 dermal ossicles. Thns the whole dorsal portion of the skin 

 is missing, and likewise the skin of the foot. These parts 

 together cannot fail to have added at least 30 cm. in vertical 

 direction, perhaps more. The size of the animal has thns pro- 

 bably been abont equal to that of the smaller species oililii- 

 noceros. It seems as if an animal of such considerable size 

 must have been observed by the inhabitants of Patagonia. 

 As the white population as yet is scatterecl and not very 

 numerous it might be possible that they could have failed to 

 meet tlie animal theraselves, although even that seems im- 

 probable, when hunters and cattleowners certainly have tra- 

 versed the country in many directions. But it is absolutely 

 impossible to think that this animal, if it still was among 

 living beings, could have eluded the sharp eyes of the native 

 Indians. Even if it had exclusively nocturnal habits and 

 hid itself during daytime in the most desolate places the 

 hunting Indians must have come across it now and then and 

 they must certainly have observed its tracks, its traces where 

 it had broken off branches and twigs when feeding, its 

 Scratches or diggings in the earth, its exerements etc. (per- 

 haps also heard it if it was not mute). Therefore if the 

 white people did not know it from their own experience they 

 ought to have heard about it from the Indians with whom 

 they at least during later years have been on friendly terms. 

 But neither Dr. 0. Nordenskjöld nor any of the other mein- 

 bers of the Swedish Expedition ever heard a word mentioned 

 about such an animal from white people nor from Indians. 

 The find in Cueva Eberhardt indicates that :>Neomyloäon» has 

 lived as a conteinporary with man in Patagonia. 1 It also 



1 It might be possible that the bones which are described above as hav- 

 ing belonged to an Auchenia (huanaco?), but which seem unusually large. in 



