407 



the claw of this animal (seven inches and a half), that, as Mr. Jefferson 

 justly observes, if we were to estimate the size of this animal by a com- 

 parison of its claw with that of the lion, on the principle of ex pede her- 

 culem, it would give us a being out of the limits of nature *. 



From comparisons, however, made with a fair attention to every con- 

 sideration, he was induced to conclude that he might safely say, " That 

 this animal was three times as large as the lion ; that he stood as pre- 

 eminently at the head of the column of clawed animals, as the mam- 

 moth stood at the head of the elephant, rhinoceros, and hippopotamus ; 

 and that he may have been as formidable an antagonist to the mam- 

 moth, as the lion to the elephant. 



Dr. Wistar, professor of anatomy in the university of Pennsylvania, 

 gave, in the same volume, a description of the preceding bones, to which 

 he subjoined some illustrative observations. After having carefully exa- 

 mined these bones, almost in every point of view, Dr. Wistar concluded 

 that there seemed to be some analogy between the feet of this fossil ani- 

 mal and those of the bradypus. Having, however, no opportunity of any 

 other comparison with this animal than by the description given of it by 

 M. Daubenton, he could riot come to any decided opinion as to the 

 degree of affinity. An unguis, described by M. Daubenton, and which 

 had been presented by M. de la Condamine, as having belonged to a 

 large species of sloth, seemed strongly, from its agreement in size, to 

 confirm the affinity. This claw, though not entire, measured in length, 

 round its convexity, six inches ; and in breadth, at its base, an inch and 

 a half f. 



Both Dr. Wistar and Mr. Jefferson were disposed to doubt that any 

 similarity existed between these fossil bones and those of the mega- 

 therium found at Paraguay ; but for want of a good plate, or a full de- 

 scription of the latter skeleton, they considered themselves as unable to 

 decide on the subject. 



* Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, Vol. IV. p. 246. 

 f Ibid. Vol. iv. p. 526. 



