228 Reports and Proceedings — Geological Society of London. 



closely resembled in structure that of the armadillos. Mr. Woodward 

 had searched Lista's writings in vain for a reference to the 

 mysterious quadruped mentioned by that traveller to Araeghino ; but 

 as this unknown animal was said to be only about as large as the 

 Indian pangolin, it was evident that Neomylodon Listai could not 

 be the creature in question. 



Since the Zoological Society's meeting on Februai'y 2l8t, 

 Dr. Einar Lonnberg's interesting description of the fragments of 

 skin taken by Dr. Otto Nordenskjold to Upsala, has reached 

 England. Dr. Nordenskj old's account of the discovery of the 

 specimen agrees with that of Dr. Moreno ; but the Swedish traveller 

 was fortunately on the spot so early as April, 1896, and he was 

 able to make an exploration of the cave soon after the skin was 

 found. He dug up the sheath of a large Edentate claw, which. 

 Dr. Lonnberg rightly describes as almost certainly that of a ground- 

 sloth ; but he was unable to meet with any other traces of the 

 animal. He only found some little balls of fur, not of Neomylodon, 

 some fragments, probably of the huanaco (AucJienia), portions of 

 human bones, and a piece of chipped stone. Dr. Lonnberg's 

 description of the skin agrees closely with that of Mr. Woodward, 

 but the former finds less difference between the microscopical 

 structure of the ossicles in Neomylodon and Mylodon than is 

 described by the latter. Dr. Lonnberg also supposes that the 

 cuticle of the hair has been destroyed, while Mr. Woodward regards 

 it as complete. Both agree, however, in considering the animal 

 to have been of very large size; and Dr. Nordenskjold believes 

 that the largest piece of skin he saw in 1896 was at least 1*5 metres 

 in length. 



Whether the piece of skin in question belongs to a recent or 

 to an extinct animal, there are thus considerable difficulties in 

 solving the problems it suggests. If it does belong to Mylodon, as 

 Dr. Moreno maintains, it implies either that this genus survived in 

 Patagonia to a comparatively recent date, or that the circumstances 

 of preservation were unique in the cavern where the specimen was 

 discovered. On the other hand, if it belongs to a distinct and 

 existing genus, as Dr. Ameghino maintains, and as most of the 

 characters of the specimen itself would at first sight suggest, it is 

 indeed strange that so large and remarkable a quadruped should 

 have hitherto escaped detection in a country which has been so 

 frequently visited by scientific explorers. 



Geological Society of London. 



I.— February 22, 1899.— W. Whitaker, B.A., F.E.S., President, in 

 the Chair. The following communications were read : — 



1. " On Varieties of Serpentine and Associated Rocks in Anglesey." 

 By Professor T. G. Bonney, D.Sc, LL.D., V.P.E.S., F.G.S., and 

 Miss C. A. Eaisin, D.Sc. 



The paper adds certain details to the description published in 



