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large as a rhinoceros : in the structure of its head it comes, 

 according to Mr. Owen, nearest to the Cape Anteater, but 

 in some other respects it approaches to the armadilloes. 

 Fourthly, the Mylodon Darwinii, a closely related genus of 

 little inferior size. Fifthly, another gigantic edental quadru- 

 ped. Sixthly, a large animal, with an osseous coat in com- 

 partments, very like that of an armadillo. Seventhly, an 

 extinct kind of horse, to which I shall have again to refer. 

 Eighthly, a tooth of a Pachydermatous animal, probably the 

 same with the Macrauchenia, a huge beast with a long neck 

 like a camel, which I shall also refer to again. Lastly, the 

 Toxodon, perhaps one of the strangest animals ever dis- 

 covered: in size it equalled an elephant or megatherium, but 

 the structure of its teeth, as Mr. Owen states, proves in- 

 disputably that it was intimately related to the Gnawers, the 

 order which, at the present day, includes most of the smallest 

 quadrupeds : in many details it is allied to the Pachyder- 

 mata: judging from the position of its eyes, ears, and nos- 

 trils, it was probably aquatic, like the Dugong and Manatee, 

 to which it is also allied. How wonderfully are the different 

 Orders, at the present time so well separated, blended to- 

 gether in different points of the structure of the Toxodon ! 

 The remains of these nine great quadrupeds, and many 

 detached bones, were found embedded on the beach, within 

 the space of about 200 yards square. It is a remarkable cir- 

 cumstance that so many different species should be found 

 together; and it proves how numerous in kind the ancient 

 inhabitants of this country must have been. At the distance 

 of about thirty miles from Punta Alta, in a cliff of red earth, 

 I found several fragments of bones, some of large size. 

 Among them were the teeth of a gnawer, equalling in size 

 and closely resembling those of the Capybara, whose habits 

 have been described; and therefore, probably, an aquatic 

 animal. There was also part of the head of a Ctenomys ; the 

 species being different from the Tucutuco, but with a close 

 general resemblance. The red earth, like that of the Pampas, 

 in which these remains were embedded, contains, according 

 to Professor Ehrenberg, eight fresh-water and one salt-water 

 infusorial animalcule; therefore, probably, it was an estuary 

 deposit. 



