136 MIGHTY ANIMALS 



tail. Grasping the trunk of the tree in his front 

 paws he swayed back and forth, the tree swaying 

 with him. There must have been a loud creaking 

 of the trunk, an agitated rustling of the leaves, 

 until down came the big tree with a crash. And 

 there on the ground lay the Megatherium's break- 

 fast, or dinner, or supper, as the case might be. 

 Having worked so hard to get his meal, he probably 

 enjoyed it all the more and gave the choicest bits, 

 like the tender leaves and twigs at the top, many a 

 caressing lick with his very long and very pointed 

 tongue. 



As thousands of Megatheriums once lived on the 

 American continent many thousands of trees were 

 laid low by them. It seems most strange that 

 creatures possessed of such enormous strength 

 should finally have ceased to exist. By looking at 

 a Megatherium's skeleton a good idea of his strength 

 is gained. For then one can see that this crea- 

 ture's thigh bone was nearly three times as large 

 around as is the thigh bone of an elephant. 

 The whole frame reveals muscles of extraordinary 

 power, and the tail plainly indicates that it helped 



