NATURAL HISTORY. 133 



" Still, with your voice, the slothful soldiers raise, 

 Urge, by thy father's fame, their future praise." POPE'S HOMER. 



sun, than the hair of ordinary quadrupeds ; and its appearance so 

 much resembles that of the bark and moss of the branches on which 

 it lives as to prevent the animal from being easily detected, 

 except when moving. 



408. Why is it erroneous to consider the sloth an awkwardly- 

 formed animal, and unfit for locomotion ? 



Because the shortness of its hind legs, and the extraordinary 

 length of the arms and claws, although they impede the progress 

 of the animal upon level ground, are peculiarly calculated to assist 

 it in climbing among the branches of trees, where the sloth finds 

 food, and rests secure from his enemies. 



409. If the sloth can with his claws reach the branch or rough bark of a tree then 

 will his progress be rapid ; he will climb hand over hand along the branches till 

 they touch, thus getting from bough to bough, and from tree to tree ; in the storm 

 he is most alive ; it is when the wind blows, and the trees stoop, and the branches 

 wave, that he is most active. 



,410. Why have sloths great difficulty in walking on the 

 ground ? 



This difficulty arises from the peculiar structure of their feet ; 

 their hind ones are much smaller and shorter than their fore feet, 

 and they are articulated somewhat in the same way as those of the 

 handed animals which are the most expert climbers. In conse- 

 quence of this, the side of the hind foot and part of the leg come 

 in contact with the ground, and the animal cannot walk but with 

 the greatest difficulty. The toes, which are two on the fore feet of 

 the one and three on those of the other, are united together so as 

 to form one single piece, and have no division of the foot except 

 the claws, which are long and crooked, and remain bent like hooks 

 by the action of ligaments, except when the animal stretches them 

 out by muscular exertion, which appears to be a slow and painfuJ 

 operation* 



