Rqfinesque's Atlantic Journal. &i5. 



** The principal fossil bones found in them, and come to my 

 knowledge, belonged to — 



" 1. The Megatherium^ or an animal very near it. 



" 2. My Aulaxodon speleum, since called Megalonyx laqueatus, 

 by Harlan." 



Now, in relation to this, we state, that there never was any 

 bone resembling that of a Megatherium found in those caves ; 

 and as to the Megalonyx, the genus was so named by that emi- 

 nent lover of natural history, Thomas Jefferson. The new spe- 

 cies, M. Laqueatus, was first published by Dr. Harlan in March, 

 1831;* the bones of this animal were shown by him to this Doc- 

 tor Rafinesque, who had never seen them before ; yet he who 

 complains of being wronged by others, not only attempts to sup- 

 plant the species of Harlan and the genus of Jefferson, but in- 

 sinuates that the first-named of these two gentlemen had endea- 

 voured to supplant him. We wish Mr. Rafinesque to under- 

 stand, that when any pseudo scientific publication is published 

 here, calculated to mislead at home, and to discredit the 

 country abroad, we shall proceed to unbombast it as soon as 

 our leisure permits. He may cry mercy, and plead past ser- 

 vices ; but it won't do. One of our objects in relation to the geo- 

 logy and natural history of this country, is to endeavour to 

 clear up all the old crudities that have brought natural science 

 into a fog here; and if it were only to spare ourselves future 

 trouble, we must cut up by the roots all the new-born nonsense 

 that threatens to darken the subject still further. 



Henceforward, we trust, Mr., or Doctor, or Professor Rafines- 

 que — who it seems must be doing — when he finds queer things, 

 such as Mazamas, Panallodons, and JVephr osteons, which he does 

 not know what to make of, will do what men of sense do, show 

 them to those who do ; and not publish them — without figures 

 too, in language that no naturalist can understand, and which 

 was only endured in the bygone days, when all were ignorant 

 alike, and when it was the custom to hold omfie ignotum pro 

 ma^niiicfo. 



* See Month. Am. Journal of Geology, Vol. 1 , p. 45. 



