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INTEODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



secretary of the Eoyal Zoological Society "of Ireland, for the 

 accompanying figure {Fig. 312). It represents the Unau, or 

 two-toed Sloth,* the first ever seen alive in these countries, 

 and is copied from a prize drawing belonging to that Society. 



Fig. 312.— Unad, or Two-toed Sloth. 



" The Sloth," Mr. Waterton remarks, " is the only known 

 quadruped that spends its whole life suspended by his feet from 

 the branches of trees. The Monkey and the Squirrel seize a 

 branch with their fore-feet, and pull themselves up, and rest 

 or run upon it ; but the Sloth, after seizing it, still remains 

 suspended ; and, suspended, moves along under the branch 

 till he can lay hold of another." The rapidity of the move- 

 ment is well illustrated by Mr. Waterton in the following 

 anecdote :■ — " One day as we were crossing the river Esse- 

 quibo, I saw a large two-toed Sloth on the ground upon the 

 bank. How he got there nobody could tell ; the Indian said 

 he never had surprised a Sloth iu such a situation before ; he 

 could hardly have come there to drink, for both above and 

 below the place the branches of the trees touched the water, 

 and afforded him an easy and a safe access to it. Be this as 

 it may, though the trees were not twenty yards from him, he 



* This animal formed the subject of a highly interesting Lecture, delivered 

 by Mr. Ball at one of the evening meetings of the Society. It was published 

 in Saunders s News- Letter, April 15, lb44, and gives a general view of ihe 

 Sloths, recent and fossil. 



