1st, I
have the tarsi and metatarsi very perfect of a Cavia; 2nd, the upper jaw
and head of some very large animal with four square hollow molars and
the head greatly protruded in front. I at first thought it belonged
either to the Megalonyx or Megatherium (4/1). The animal may probably
have been Grypotherium Darwini, Ow. The osseous plates mentioned below
must have belonged to one of the Glyptodontidae, and not to Megatherium.
We are indebted to Mr. Kerr for calling our attention to a passage in
Buckland's "Bridgewater Treatise" (Volume II., page 20, note), where
bony armour is ascribed to Megatherium.); in confirmation of this in the
same formation I found a large surface of the osseous polygonal
plates, which "late observations" (what are they?) show belong to the
Megatherium. Immediately I saw this I thought they must belong to an
enormous armadillo, living species of which genus are so abundant here.
3rd, The lower jaw of some large animal which, from the molar teeth, I
should think belonged to the Edentata; 4th, some large molar teeth which
in some respects would seem to belong to an enormous rodent; 5th, also
some smaller teeth belonging to the same order. If it interests you
sufficiently to unpack them, I shall be very curious to hear something
about them. Care must be taken in this case not to confuse the tallies.
They are mingled with marine shells which appear to me identical with
what now exist. But since they were deposited in their beds several
geological changes have taken place in the country. So much for the
dead, and now for the living: there is a poor specimen of a bird which
to my unornithological eyes appears to be a happy mixture of a lark,
pigeon and snipe (No. 710). Mr. MacLeay himself never imagined such an
inosculating creature: I suppose it will turn out to be some well-known
bird, although it has quite baffled me. I have taken some interesting
Amphibia; a new Trigonocephalus beautifully connecting in its habits
Crotalus and the Viperidae, and plenty of new (as far as my knowledge
goes) saurians. As for one little toad, I hope it may be new, that
it may be christened "diabolicus." Milton must allude to this very
individual when he talks of "squat like a toad" (4/2. "...him [Satan]
there they [Ithuriel and Zephon] found, Squat like a toad, close at the
ear of Eve" ("Paradise Lost," Book IV., line 800).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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