MAMMALIA. 411 



could not make his way through the sand time enough to 

 escape before we landed. As soon as we got up to him he 

 threw himself upon his back, and defended himself in gallant 

 style with his fore legs. * Come, poor fellow,' said I to him, 

 * if thou hast got into a hobble to-day thou shalt not suffer for 

 it. I'll take no advantage of thee in misfortune. The forest 

 is large enough both for me and thee to rove in. Go thy 

 ways up above, and enjoy thyself in these endless wilds; it is 

 more than probable thou wilt never have another interview 

 with man. So, fare thee well. ' On saying this 1 took a long 

 stick, which was lying there, held it for him to hook on, and 

 then conveyed him to a high and stately mora tree. He 

 ascended with wonderful rapidity, and in about a minute he 

 was almost at the top of the tree. He now went off in a side 

 direction, and caught hold of the branches of another tree, 

 proceeding in this manner towards the heart of the forest. I 

 stood looking on, lost in amazement at this singular mode of 

 progress. I followed him with my eyes till the intervening 

 branches closed in between us, and then I lost sight for ever 

 of the two-toed Sloth." 



Among the extinct animals of the present order, is one 

 whose massive skeleton has procured for it the expressive 

 appellation of Megatherium* Its length, including the tail, 

 must have been more than fourteen feet, and its height upwards 

 of eight feet. The thigh bone was twice the thickness of that 

 of the largest Elephant; the fore-foot must have measured 

 more than a yard in length, and more than twelve inches in 

 width, and was terminated by an enormous claw. The width 

 of the upper part of the tail could not have been less than two 

 feet.t Other extinct quadrupeds allied to this in many points 

 of structure have been discovered, and the group deriving a 

 name from its colossal leader, is spoken of as that of the 

 Megatherioid animals. Their structure and general habits 

 are most ably treated of by Professor Owen, in a memoir upon 

 one species (Mylodon\ robustus), of which the skeleton is now 

 in the splendid museum of the College of Surgeons, "set up" 

 in the attitude shown in the annexed figure (Fig. 313). 



In the course of this volume examples have been adduced 

 of the exercise which the study of natural history gives to 



* Gr. Mega, great; tlierion, a beast. 



f Dr. Buckland's Bridgewater Treatise. Vide also Penny Cyclopedia. 



j Gr. myle, a mill; odous, a tooth. 



