Eden fata — Megatherium, etc. 



69 



On tLe stand, in the centre of the Pavilion, is placed the J^ e 8'. a - 

 cast of the entire skeleton of the great extinct " Ground-Sloth " stand O. 



{Megatherium americauum), the separate original bones of the 

 skeleton, and the skull, occupying the Wall-case. 



This colossal animal measures 18 feet in length, its bones 

 being- more massive than those of the elephant. The thigh- 

 bone is nearly thrice the thickness of the same bone in the largest 

 of existing elephants, the circumference being equal to the 

 entire length. The strength of the Megatherium is indicated by 

 the form of the bones, with their surfaces, ridges, and crests 

 everywhere roughened for the attachment of powerful muscles 

 and tendons. The bony framework of the fore-part of the body 

 is comparatively slender, but the hinder quarters display in 

 every part enormous strength and weight combined, indicating 

 that the animal habitually rested on its haunches and powerful 

 tail. Whilst in that position it could freely use its strong 



Great 

 Ground- 

 Sloth. 



Fig. S3. — Skull of the Tree-sloth, BradypuB gularia (recent), S. America (reduced). 



flexible forearms and the large claws, with which its hands 

 were provided, to break down or bend the trees upon the 

 leaves and succulent branches of which it fed, like its pigmy 

 modern representative, the existing tree-sloth, which spends its 

 entire life climbing back-downwards among the branches of the 

 trees suspended by its powerful arms and long recurved claws. 



A nearly perfect original skeleton of Mylodon robustns, Owen, Mylodon. 

 has been set up in this gallery beside the restored skeleton of Glass-case 

 Megatherium, so that Ave see in juxtaposition examples of two of 00. 

 the largest genera of these great extinct gx-ound-sloths, once the 

 denizens of the vast tropical forests of America, and represented 

 to-day by the tree-sloth (Bradypus), an animal not larger than a 

 dog in size; the skeleton of one of which is placed in the adjoining 

 Wall-case for comparison with the Megatherium. 



Remains of other allied animals, namely, Scelidotherium {see 

 Fig. 84), and Megalonyx, may be seen in the Wall-case 

 adjoining. 



