Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-06-25
THE ROMANCE OF GEOLOGY.-No. v.
EARLY GEOLOGICAL AGES.
THE MEaATHFRIJJM

Anotner creature belonging 10 the later Pliocene
ages, II not indeed to the era Of the Diluvian for
nation, has been discovered in America, both North
and south; This is the Megatherium, an animal
more widely removed in character from any exist
ing creature, than any Of the other fossil remains
that have yet been observed. The mepatherium
was discovered towards the end of the last century
a skeleton, almost entire, was found at nearly one
hundred feet of depth, in excavations made on the
banks of the river Luxan, several leagues TO the
southwest of Buenos Ayres Tho megatherium
was u tardigrade (slow -moving) ANIMAL like the
soth, and was at least the size Of a common OK
Its limbs were terminated by five thick toes, attach
cd to series Of huge flat metatarsal bones, or
those bones with which the bones are continuous
as in the human foot. "Some of the toes" says
Buckland in his notice of this creature, care ter
minated by large and powerful claws Of great length
the bones supporting these claws are composed
partly of an axis, or pointed core, which filled the
internal cavity of the horny claw; and partly of
bony sheath, that formed strong case to receive
and support its base" These claws, from their po-
slon, were admirably calculated for the purpose OF
digging. The legs of this ceature were Of enor-
nous thickness, its thigh bone being nearly three
times The thickness Of ne same bone in the elephant
The other bones Of the megatheriun were almost
proportionaby heavy A still more remarkable
feature, however, in the animals structure, was the
coat Of armor, of solid bone, varying from three
fourths OF an inch 10 an inch and half in thick
hess, which covered its hide, in the same manner
as the armadillos is oncased by the same substance
The habits and peculiarities of this stupendous
sloth-ior so the megathorium may be termed-are
well described ard explained in DIR. Buckland's
Bridgewater Treatise. After stating that with the
head and shoulders of sloth, it combined, in Its
legs and feet, an admxture of the characters of
the ant eater and the arwadllo and resembed them
still more in being cased in coat of armor, he
continues, Its launches were more than five feet
wide, and its body twelve feet long and eight feet
highs its feet were yardin length, and terminated
by most gigantic claws; its tail was probably clad
In armor, and much larger than the tail of any 9TH
or beast among living or extinct terrestrial nam
malta. Thus heavily constructed, and ponderously
accoutred, it could neither run, nor leap nor climb
nor burrow under the ground, and in all its move
mcnts must have been necessarily slow; but what
need Of rapid locomolon TO an animal whose &C.
cupatlon Of digging roots for food was almost sta
tionary ?-and what need of speed for flight from
foes to a creature whose giant carcase was encased
in an impenetrabe cuirass, and who by single
pat Of his paw, or lash Of his tail, could in in
slant have demolished the cougar or the crocodile?
Secure within the panoply of his bony armor, where
was the enemy that would dare encounter this be-
hemoth Of the Pampas lhe South American region
where it eXisted or in what more powerful Great
ure can we find the cause that has effected the ex-
tirpation of his racer"
LIS entire frame was an apparatus of colossal
mechanism, adapted exactly 10 the work it had to
do; strong and ponderous, in proportion this
work was heavy, and calculated to be the vehicle
OF life and enjoyment to of quadrupeds,
which though they have ceased to be counted
among the living inhabitants of our planet have,
In their fossil bones, left behind them impershabe
monuments OF the consummate skill with which
they were constructed.