150 The American Geologist. March, 1891 
some of them also occupied the southern portion of North America. 
Megatherium and Mylodon were two of these, while Skelidothe- 
rium of all species was so far as we know confined to South Amer- 
ica and Megalonyx to North America and the island of Cuba. At 
the same time it would be erroneous to infer that the same species 
were found in both parts of the New World, for this apparently 
was not the case. 
Two or three less known forms have been described — Nbthro- 
therium, from Brazil ; GnatJtopsis, of Leidy, from South America, 
ami Ereptodon, of the same author, from Mississippi. Only a de- 
tached bone or tooth of each of these genera is yet known. 
Hitherto, the remains of Megalonyx have not been found farther 
north than Big Bone Lick, in Kentucky, about twenty miles south- 
west of C incinnati and in latitude 38A/\ Greenbrier county, West 
Virginia lies in latitude 38°. At least, this is the case west of the 
Alleghanies. Possibly, some of the cited instances ou the Atlantic 
seaboard may be a little farther north. But the discover}- of this 
skeleton near Millersburg extends the area over which the animal 
roamed to latitude 40°, or nearly 120 miles farther north than was 
before known. Much be}-ond this limit it is not probable that it 
will ever be carried, as from what we know of the climate of that 
era. it is unlikely that it would be sufficiently congenial to allow 
of its subsistence, especiall}' in the winter. 
VI. Environment mitl Date. 
Regarding the actual conditions of the region where the 
skeleton was found and at the time when it lived, it is possible to 
deduce a few inferences from the facts observed. The swamp lies 
almost at the extreme edge of the terminal moraine doubtless of 
the second glacial era, though the southern limit of this appar- 
ently here coincides with that of the earlier glaciation. About 
seven miles to the northeast of Millersburg is a very heavy drift 
composing for a short distance two lines of moraine between which 
lies the swamp containing the bones. There is evidence that this 
was formerly one of those glacial lakes with which the front of 
the ice-sheet abounded. Indeed it was covered with water except 
in summer within the recollection of men still living. The peat 
which has accumulated is in some places ten or eleven feet thick, 
and beneath it is the shell-marl usually found in these lake-beds. 
