102 



Mr. Owen on the Glyptodon clavipes. 



In the Dasypus tricinctus, for example, the radius, which measures one inch and 

 four lines in length, is equal to the diameter of four of the marginal plates of the 

 dermal covering. In the Glyptodon, the radius, which measures seven inches and 

 a half in length, is equal to three and a half of the analogous dermal ossicles, which 

 are, therefore, relatively larger than in the Armadillo. 



But the bones of the skeleton of the Glyptodon which we have to compare with 

 those of the Megatherium do not equal a third of the bulk of their analogues in the 

 more gigantic Edental. If, therefore, the tesserse of the coat of mail of the 

 Glyptodon average a breadth of two inches, then those of the hypothetical armour 

 of the Megatherium might reasonably be expected to present a proportional mag- 

 nitude : and, from the abundance of the remains of the Megathere, and the vast 

 number of tesserae that must have entered into the formation of its expansive 

 cuirass, hexagonal osseous plates of five or six inches diameter and proportional 

 thickness, might be expected, if such a cuirass had really formed part of the en- 

 during structures of the Megatherium, to have been found scattered more or less 

 abundantly along the banks of almost every stream that flows through the Pam- 

 pas ; yet not a single piece of armour of a larger pattern than that of the Glypt- 

 odon has hitherto been discovered either in South or North America, where the 

 bones of the Megatherium have occurred. And, finally, when we consider, that 

 although parts of the armour of the Glyptodon have been discovered without bones, 

 yet that its bones have never been found unassociated with more or less of the 

 heavy covering in which it laid down and died, it must appear very improbable 

 that, in every case in which the bones of the Megathere have been met with, its 

 still heavier armour should have been entirely washed away. 



The following is a tabular view of the principal circumstances connected with the discovery of twelve 

 different skeletons of the Megatherium : — 





Date of 











No. 

 1. 



disco- 

 very. 



Where found. 



By whom found. 



Parts obtained. 



Where deposited. 



1789. 



R. Luxan, near Buenos Ayres. 



Marquis of Loretto. 



Nearly whole skeleton. 



Royal Museum, Madrid. 



2. 



1795. 



Lima. 





Parts of skeleton. 



ditto. 



3. 



ditto. 



Paraguay. 



Pere Fernando Scio. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



4. 



1824. 



Skidaway Marshes, New York. 



Messrs. Mitchell & Cooper. 



Teeth and few bones. 



Lyceum, New York. 



5. 



1825. 



White-bluff, Savannah. 



Waring and Habersham. 



Odd bones. 



ditto. 



6. 



1826. 



Queguay-Uruguay. 



Sellow. 



Part of femur. 



Berlin. 



7. 



1833. 



Rio Salado. 



Sir Woodbine Parish. 



Nearly entire skeleton. 



Coll. Surg. London. 



8. 



1834. 



North Patagonia. 



Mr. Darwin. 



Head. 



ditto. 



9. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



10. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 



ditto. 

 Museum, Monte Video. 



11. 



1837. 



Luxan, Buenos Ayres. 



Signor Muniz. 



Skeleton nearly entire. 



12. 



1838. 



Estancias de Rosas, Buen. Ayr. 



Dr. Decalzi. 



Various bones. 



ditto. 



