322 THROUGH THE HEART OF PATAGONIA 



Ski/i a7id Hair. 



The new piece of skin, which is stated by Hauthal to have been 

 found in the deposit of excrement, is not quite so well preserved as the 

 original piece. It is much folded in an irregular manner ; and the hair, 

 which is yellower than in the previous specimen, is preserved only in 

 patches on the outer face. It must have been stripped from the body of 

 the animal by man ; but the only distinct marks of tools, which were 

 evidently made when the skin was fresh, are a few indents and small pits 

 on the outer face. The indents must have been made by oblique thrusts 

 of a stick, or a small, blunt, chisel-shaped instrument. The small pittings 

 are nearer the middle of the specimen and less conspicuous. A vacuity 

 in the skin seems to be due to accidental tearing or to a thrust after it 

 was dry : it may even have been caused by the fallen blocks of stone 

 found lying upon it. 



The specimen, as preserved, measures about a metre across in one 

 direction by 93 centimetres in another direction. As already observed 

 by Roth, its irregular folding makes the determination of its position on 

 the trunk very difficult ; but I am convinced that its state of preservation 

 is not sufficiently good to justify an attempt to unfold the skin by the 

 ordinary method of steaming. Taking all facts into consideration. Roth 

 seems to be correct in ascribing it to the right flank and the postero- 

 superior part of one of the limbs. It most probably belongs to the fore 

 limb, as Roth supposes ; but there is no clear proof that it is not referable 

 to the hind-quarters. 



The original situation of the piece of skin being thus determined, it is 

 interesting to observe the disposition of the ossicles in the lower layer. 

 Owing to abrasion, contraction, and partial disintegration, they are con- 

 spicuous in most parts of the specimen. They are very irregular in shape 

 and size, and closely compacted together, as in the previous specimen. 

 It is, however, to be noted that in some parts there is a distinct tendency 

 to arrangement in regular, straight, parallel rows. The long axes of the 

 elongated ossicles are nearly always coincident with the direction of these 

 rows. They are especially well shown on the middle of the flank ; and, 

 as might be expected, the rows are here disposed vertically, parallel with 

 the ribs. 



In some parts of the skin the ossicles are exposed on their outer face ; 

 but appearances render it almost certain that this exposure is due to the 

 disintegration and abrasion of the specimen. In one patch thus uncovered 

 by the removal of the soft parts, the ossicles are seen to form a closely 

 arranged, flattened pavement ; and their outer face is much more con- 

 spicuously marked by pittings than that of any ossicle extracted from the 



