FOSSIL MAMMALIA, 133 



of Madrid in 1789. A second skeleton, less complete, forming 

 part of the same collection, was sent there from Lima, in 1795. 

 A third has been found in Paraguay. Bru put together at 

 Madrid the skeleton of Buenos Ayres, and had some good 

 figures of it engraved. M. Cuvier, on the examination of these 

 figures, unfolded the affinity of this animal to the sloths and 

 other edentata. Afterwards, Garriga, who translated Cuvier' s 

 article into Spanish, added to it the original and very extended 

 description given by Bru. The Baron has left nothing want- 

 ing on the subject in his '^ Ossemens Fossiles."" 



Many other writers have treated concerning this animal. 

 Abildgaard, who knew nothing of the researches of Cuvier, 

 did yet, like him, refer the megatherium to the edentata, or the 

 bruta of Linnaeus. Shaw more tardily adopted this opinion, 

 which Lichtenstein and Faujas combatted without success. 

 After that, for a long space of time, nothing was added to our 

 knowledge of this fossil animal, until Don Damasio de Laran- 

 haia acquainted the Philomathic Society with the discovery of 

 certain parts of the head analogous to that of the tatou, and 

 which appeared to have belonged to the megatherium. 



The general forms of the head of the megatherium resemble 

 considerably that of the bradypi. But the most striking trait of 

 resemblance consists in a long descending apophysis, flattened, 

 and situated at the basis of the zygomatic arch. This arch is 

 entire, while in the bradypi it is interrupted behind. The 

 under part of the lower jaw has on each side a very remark- 

 able projection, to which there is nothing analogous but in the 

 lower jaw of the elephant, though there it is much less per- 

 ceptible. The symphysis is considerably elongated, which 

 renders the muzzle much more projecting than that of the ai 

 or unau. The bones peculiar to the nose being very short, 

 it is suspected that the animal might have had a trunk like 

 those of the elephant or tapir. But, if so, this trunk must 

 have been short, as is indicated by the length of the neck. 

 There are neither the usual incisors, nor tusks, nor canines. 



