Megalonyx in Holmes county, Ohio. — Clay pole. 129 
mous claws which were probably employed to scratch away the 
earth from the roots, so as to render the overthrow of the tree more 
easy. There were four of these on each fore-foot and only one 
on each hind-foot, or ten in all, the outer toes being nailless. 
There were five teeth in the upper and four in the lower jaw on 
each side, or 18 in all. 
Two species, at least, are known of this genus. The second 
member of this family of giants that came to light was Mylodon 
robust us, a species somewhat smaller than Megatherium, being 
only about eleven feet in length. This, also, was disentombed 
from the Pleistocene deposits of Argentina. It differs from the 
preceding in a few minor points, such as the less massive lower 
jaw and the shorter and lighter skull. What has been said above 
of the habits of Megatherium applies equall}- well to Mylodon. 
It was about as large and heavy as a rhinoceros. 
The earliest skeleton of the Mylodon was brought to England, in 
1841, b} r Sir Woodbine Parish, from the Salado river, Buenos 
A}'res, and described under the name of M. rohustus. by Prof. 
Owen, in a magnificent quarto work. It was afterwards set up in 
the museum of the Royal College of Surgeons (of which Prof. 
Owen was then curator), and where it still stands. It is very 
nearly perfect. Another, almost equally complete, was set up 
about three years ago, in the British Museum at South Kensing- 
ton. These two are, I believe, the only nearly perfect skeletons 
known. 
Several other species have been found. They are 31. armatus, 
the largest, from La Plata, 31. darwini, brought by Darwin from 
Patagonia and 31. Harlini — the type — from the Big-Bone-Lick in 
Kentucky. This last was the earliest specimen that came to light 
as far back as 1835, when a jaw-bone was described by Harlan 
(as Megalonyx laqueatus), and by Owen dedicated to him in 1841. 
Tor years no more of the animal was known than the single bone 
in the cabinet of the Lyceum of Natural History of New York. 
But a few more teeth and fragments of bone have since been dis- 
covered in South Carolina, Oregon, Missouri, Mississippi and 
Kentucky. 
The pampas have also yielded the type of Skelidotherium (lep~ 
tocephalum), also described by Prof. Owen, and of which a partial 
skeleton has been set up in the museum at Bologna, under the 
