14-7 



Mylodon. — One of the most brilliant, and, I venture to say, not 

 the least durable of the researches in palaeontology, remains to be 

 mentioned in the descriyjiion of the Mylodon robustus, a new species 

 of gigantic edentate animal, accompanied by observations on the 

 affinities and habits of all Megatherioid animals. After a sketch 

 of the labours of Cuvier, who first described the huge Megatherium 

 and pointed out its analogy to the family of Sloths and Armadillos, 

 of the succeeding writings of Jefferson and Harlan upon the genus 

 Megalonyx, of Dr. Linid on the Ccelodon and Sphenodon of Brazil, 

 and of his own researches which established the Mylodon and Sce- 

 lidotherium, Professor Owen proceeds to describe the megatherioid 

 animal which he has named Mylodon robustus. 



Of the purely anatomical descriptions, it is not my province to 

 speak, and referring yoti to the work in which, through the en- 

 lightened munificence of the College of Surgeons, all the necessary 

 illustrations have appeared, I pass to the genei-alizations, and learn 

 that the Mylodon, in common with the Megatherium and Megalo- 

 nyx, are genera of the family of Gravigrada, as distinguished from 

 the Tardigrada in the order Bruta. 



Professor Owen then proceeds to a comparison of the anatomy of 

 the Mylodon with that of all analogous creatures, and after an able 

 analysis, he satisfies himself, and also, T am persuaded, every one 

 who has followed his close reasoning, that he has at length ascer- 

 tained the true habits and food of this family of mammifers. From 

 their dentition, it is inferred that the Megatherium and Mylodon must 

 have been phyllophagous, or leaf-eating animals ; whilst, from 

 their short necks, the very opposite extreme to the camelopard, 

 they never could have reached the tops of even the lowest trees. 

 Cuvier, on the contrary, suggested that they were fossorial, or dig- 

 ging animals ; and we all recollect the animated manner in which 

 Dr. Buckland attracted us, whilst he described the Megatherium as a 

 huge beast, which, resting upon three legs, employed one of its long 

 fore-hands in grubbing up whole fields of esculent roots ; a habit 

 which procured for it the significant popular name of " Old Scratch." 



Dr. Lund, a Danish naturalist, had considered the Megatherium 

 to be a scansorial or climbing animal ; in short, a gigantic Sloth. 

 After a multitude of compai'isons, Professor Owen rejects the 

 explanation of all his predecessors. He shows that the mon- 

 strous dimensions of the pelvis and sacrum, and the colossal 

 and heavy hinder legs, could never have been designed, either 

 to suppoi't an animal which simply scratched the earth for food, 

 or one v/hich fed by climbing into lofty trees, like the diminutive 

 Sloth ; and he further cites the structure of every analogous creature, 

 either of burrowing or climbing habits, to prove, that in all such the 

 hinder legs are comparatively light. What then was the method by 

 which these extraordinary monsters obtained their great supplies of 

 food ? The osteology of the fore-arm has, it appears, afforded 

 answers which are valuable, chiefly for their negation of erroneous 

 conjectures, such as that the animal was an ant-eater, rather than for 

 the habits which it directly elicits. It is, therefore, to the orgaui- 



