53 



perished from the face of the earth, early 

 attracted the attention of the first explorers 

 of this country. The most remarkable for 

 its size is the Mastodon, which has been 

 found as far north as the 50th degree of 

 north latitude, and from the shores of the 

 Atlaf>tic to the great lakes. Hitherto but 

 one species has been found. 



The remains of another, but very different 

 quadruped, an account of which was pub- 

 lished by Mr. Jefferson, were described and 

 figured in the fourth volume of the Trans- 

 actions of the x\merican Philosophical So- 

 ciety. The Megalonyx, as it has been 

 happily named, respecting whose habits 

 we can only form vague conjectures, 

 was furnished with tremendous organs of 

 defence and attack. Very recently the 

 bones of the Megatherium or gigantic Sloth 

 of South America, has been discovered in 

 the neighbourhood of Savannah, and the 

 industry and talents of our associate, Mr. 

 Cooper, has enabled him to determine in a 

 positive manner, their identity with the 

 South American species. For our acquaint- 

 ance with other extinct mammalia, we are 



