第70章 ON THE FORMATIONS OF THE PAMPAS(19)

Alta, the Megatherium, Megalonyx, Scelidotherium, Mylodon, Holophractus (or an allied genus), Toxodon, Macrauchenia, and an Equus were collected; and at M.Hermoso a Ctenomys, Hydrochaerus, some other rodents and the bones of a great megatheroid quadruped.Close north-east of the S.Tapalguen, we have the Rios 'Huesos' (i.e."bones"), which probably takes its name from large fossil bones.Near Villa Nuevo, and at Las Averias, not far from the Salado, three nearly perfect skeletons, one of the Megatherium, one of the Glyptodon clavipes, and one of some great Dasypoid quadruped, were found by the agent of Sir W.Parish (see his work "Buenos Ayres" etc.page 171).Ihave seen the tooth of a Mastodon from the Salado; a little northward of this river, on the borders of a lake near the G.del Monte, I saw many bones, and one large piece of dermal armour; higher up the Salado, there is a place called Monte "Huesos." On the Matanzas, about twenty miles south of Buenos Ayres, the skeleton (vide page 178 of "Buenos Ayres" etc.by Sir W.

Parish) of a Glyptodon was found about five feet beneath the surface; here also (see Catalogue of Royal College of Surgeons) remains of Glyptodon clavipes, G.ornatus, and G.reticulatus were found.Signor Angelis, in a letter which I have seen, refers to some great remains found in Buenos Ayres, at a depth of twenty varas from the surface.Seven leagues north of this city the same author found the skeletons of Mylodon robustus and Glyptodon ornatus.From this neighbourhood he has lately sent to the British Museum the following fossils:--Remains of three or four individuals of Megatherium; of three species of Glyptodon; of three individuals of the Mastodon Andium; of Macrauchenia; of a second species of Toxodon, different from T.Platensis; and lastly, of the Machairodus, a wonderful large carnivorous animal.M.d'Orbigny has lately received from the Recolate "Voyage" Pal.page 144), near Buenos Ayres, a tooth of Toxodon Platensis.

Proceeding northward, along the west bank of the Parana, we come to the Rio Luxan, where two skeletons of the Megatherium have been found; and lately, within eight leagues of the town of Luxan, Dr.F.X.Muniz has collected ("British Packet" Buenos Ayres September 25, 1841), from an average depth of eighteen feet, very numerous remains, of no less than, as he believes, nine distinct species of mammifers.At Areco, large bones have been found, which are believed, by the inhabitants, to have been changed from small bones, by the water of the river! At Arrecifes, the Glyptodon, sent to the College of Surgeons, was found; and I have seen two teeth of a Mastodon from this quarter.At S.Nicolas, M.d'Orbigny found remains of a Canis, Ctenomys, and Kerodon; and M.Isabelle ("Voyage" page 332) refers to a gigantic Armadillo found there.At S.Carlos, I heard of great bones.Alittle below the mouth of the Carcarana, the two skeletons of Mastodon were found; on the banks of this river, near S.Miguel, I found teeth of the Mastodon and Toxodon; and "Falkner" (page 55) describes the osseous armour of some great animal; I heard of many other bones in this neighbourhood.Ihave seen, I may add, in the possession of Mr.Caldcleugh, the tooth of a Mastodon Andium, said to have been found in Paraguay; I may here also refer to a statement in this gentleman's travels (volume 1 page 48), of a great skeleton having been found in the province of Bolivia in Brazil, on the R.

de las Contas.The furthest point westward in the Pampas, at which I have HEARD of fossil bones, was high up on the banks of R.Quinto.

In Entre Rios, besides the remains of the Mastodon, Toxodon, Equus, and a great Dasypoid quadruped near St.Fe Bajada, I received an account of bones having been found a little S.E.of P.Gorda (on the Parana), and of an entire skeleton at Matanzas, on the Arroyo del Animal.

In Banda Oriental, besides the remains of the Toxodon, Mylodon, and two skeletons of great animals with osseous armour (distinct from that of the Glyptodon), found on the Arroyos Sarandis and Berquelo, M.Isabelle ("Voyage" page 322) says, many bones have been found near the R.Negro, and on the R.Arapey, an affluent of the Paraguay, in latitude 30 degrees 40minutes south.I heard of bones near the source of the A.Vivoras.I saw the remains of a Dasypoid quadruped from the Arroyo Seco, close to M.

Video; and M.d'Orbigny refers ("Voyage" Geolog.page 24), to another found on the Pedernal, an affluent of the St.Lucia; and Signor Angelis, in a letter, states that a third skeleton of this family has been found, near Canelones.I saw a tooth of the Mastodon from Talas, another affluent of the St.Lucia.The most eastern point at which I heard of great bones having been found, was at Solis Grande, between M.Video and Maldonado.