511 



the size of a rhinoceros, with some modification in the form of the 

 skull resembling that in the Wombat. 



These fossils, of which a description will shortly be given to the 

 Society by Messrs. Clift and Owen , establish the fact that the pe- 

 culiar type of organization which is now characteristic of the South 

 American mammalia has been developed on that continent for a 

 long period, sufficient at least to allow of the extinction of many 

 large species of quadrupeds. The family of the armadillos is now 

 exclusively confined to South America and here we have from the 

 same country the Megatherium, and two other gigantic represen- 

 tatives of the same family. So in the Caraelidas, South America is 

 the sole province where the genus Auchenia or Llama occurs in a 

 living state, and now a much larger extinct species of Llama is dis- 

 covered. Lastly, among the rodents, the largest in stature now 

 living is the Capybara, which frequents the rivers and swamps of 

 South America and is of the size of a hog. Mr. Darwin now 

 brings home from the same continent the bones of a fossil rodent 

 not inferior in dimensions to the rhinoceros. 



These facts elucidate a general law previously deduced from the 

 relations ascertained to exist between the recent and extinct qua- 

 drupeds of Australia; foryou are aware that to the westward of 

 Sydney on the Macquarie River, the bones of a large fossil kan- 

 garoo and other lost marsupial species have been met with in the 

 ossiferous breccias of caves and fissures. 



A cavern has lately been examined at Yealm Bridge, six miles 

 south-east from Plymouth, by one of our members, Lieut. Col. 

 Mudge, R.E., from whose account it appears that the bones of hy- 

 aenas are very numerous there. They are associated with those of 

 the elephant, rhinoceros, horse, and other animals usually found in 

 caves. The number of fossil Carnivora, such as the hyaena, wolf, fox, 

 and bear, which have now been met with in districts of cavernous 

 limestone in Great Britain, is so great that we are the more struck 

 with tKe rarity and general absence of such remains in surrounding 

 and intervening districts, over which the same beasts of prey must 

 have ranged. The Pachydermata, as the elephant, rhinoceros, and 

 hippopotamus, are often discovered in ancient alluvial or fluviatile 

 deposits ; but had there been no caves and fissures we should 

 scarcely liave obtained any information respecting the existence of 



