188 EXTINCT MONSTERS. 
It is quite true that, on the ground, these animals are about 
the most awkward creatures that can well be imagined. Their 
fore legs are much longer than their hind ones ; all their toes are 
terminated by very long curved claws, and the general structure 
of the animal is such as to prevent them from walking in the 
manner of an ordinary quadruped, for they are compelled to rest 
on the sides of their hands and feet. ‘Thus they appear the most 
helpless of animals, and their only means of progression consists 
in hooking their claws to some inequality in the ground, and thus 
dragging their bodies painfully along. But in their natural home, 
amongst the branches of trees, all these seeming disadvantages 
vanish—nay, the very peculiarities of structure which render the 
sloths objects of pity on the ground, are found to render them 
admirably adapted te their peculiar mode of life. The sloth is a 
small animal, rarely more than two feet in length, and covered 
with woolly hair—probably a protection against snakes, its only 
enemies. It spends nearly the whole of its life in the trees. 
There, safe from the prowling animals on the ground below, it 
hangs like a hammock from the bough, and even travels along 
the branches with its body downwards, using its long claws like 
grappling-irons. 
It looks slothful enough when asleep, for then it resembles a 
bunch of rough hair, and a jumble of limbs close together, hang- 
ing to a branch; but when awake it is industrious in its search 
for nice twigs and leaves, and moves along with considerable 
activity. When the atmosphere is still, the sloth keeps to its 
tree, feeding on the leaves and twigs, but when there is wind, 
and the branches of neighbouring trees come in contact, the 
opportunity is seized, and the animal moves along the forest under 
the shady cover of the boughs. ‘The Indians have a saying that 
**when the wind blows the sloth begins to crawl ;” and the reason 
is quite evident, for they cannot jump, but can hang, swing, and 
crawl suspended. 
We now pass on to the old gigantic representative of the 
