THE COMMON SLOTH. 



167 



toed sloth ; Fig. 102 the pelvis of the same ; Fig 103 

 the skeleton of the unau, or two-toed sloth. 



In the skeleton of the sloth we are struck at once with 

 the great length of the fore limbs, which are twice as 

 long as the hinder pair, and with the huge hook-like 

 claws by which all four are terminated : we perceive, 

 too, that the pelvis is bird-like in its conformation and 

 of great breadth, separating the thigh-bones to an unusual 

 distance from each other ; added to this, the thigh-bones 

 are directed obliquely outwards, while the limb from the 

 knee downwards has an inward inclination ; and the 

 structure of the wrist and ankle is such that the palm or 

 sole, instead of being directed to the surface of the 

 ground, as in other animals, is turned inwards towards 

 the body in such a manner as to render it impossible for 

 the sloth to place the sole of its foot straight down on a 

 level surface, but to compel it under such circumstances 

 to rest upon the external edge of the foot (see skeleton, 

 Fig. 101). The hip-joint, as in the orang-outan, is 





102.— Pelvis of Sloth. 



