Fig. 46.—Skull of Sivatherium giganteum, an Extinct Ruminant from the Pliocene Deposits of the Siwalik Hills, India. About 1/13th natural size.
Edentates.
In the “pavilion,” or large room at the end of the gallery, are skeletons and bones of the members of the order Edentata, mostly from South America, including fine specimens of the great Ground-Sloths, the largest of which, the Megatherium, is shown in the act of rearing itself on its hind-legs and powerful tail to seize and tear down the branches of a tree in order to feed upon the leaves. That this was the habit of this huge animal is clearly indicated by the structure of its bones and teeth. The mounted specimen is not an actual skeleton, but is composed of plaster-casts of the real bones, most of which are shown in the wall-case at the north side of the room. Of the Mylodon, a smaller but nearly allied animal, an almost perfect skeleton is exhibited in a glass case near the Megatherium. Near by is a portion of the skin of a closely similar animal (Grypotherium listai), from a cave in Patagonia, showing the hair, and also the nodules of bone embedded in the hide.
Marsupials.
Not far off is shown one of the glyptodons, huge extinct Armadillo-like animals, of which the body is enclosed in a solid barrel-like bony case. As these animals far surpassed in size their diminutive existing representatives, so the gigantic Marsupials of the corresponding period in Australia (Pleistocene, or latest Tertiary), such as Diprotodon and Nototherium, greatly exceeded any of the species now existing on that continent; of Diprotodon a complete skeleton is exhibited. On the other hand, all the Mammals of the earlier geological periods of which remains are known are of diminutive size, as seen in the series of jaws, teeth, etc., mostly from the Purbeck (Upper Oolite) beds of Dorset and the Stonesfield Slate (Great Oolite) of Oxfordshire, exhibited in the centre window-case on the east side of the room.
Fig. 47.—Skull of Samotherium boissieri, an Extinct Okapi-like Ruminant from the Pliocene Strata of Samos. About ⅙th natural size.
Extinct Birds.
The south side of this room (right on entering) is chiefly reserved for the remains of extinct Birds, including the famous Lizard-tailed Bird (Archæopteryx) of the Solenhofen beds of Bavaria ([fig. 48]), the oldest known member of the class. Although presenting many Reptile-like characters, it had well-developed feathers on the wings and tail, the impressions of which are beautifully preserved in the specimen. A series of skeletons of the “Moas,” or Dinornithidæ, of New Zealand, birds in which no trace of a wing has been discovered, shows the diversity in size of different members of the group, some far exceeding any existing Ostrich, while others are scarcely larger than a good-sized Turkey. Some of these remains are so recent as still to be covered with dried skin, and even feathers. Several eggs are also shown; but, large as these are, they are greatly exceeded in size by those of the Roc (Æpyornis) from Madagascar. The skull and certain other remains of a gigantic extinct bird, Phororhachos, from Patagonia are also shown in this room. These birds appear to have been allied to the existing South American Seriema.
