160 SLOTH. 



" that he never saw a Sloth take to his heels in such 

 earnest, but the expression would not do, for the 

 creature has no heels/' 



So much for this harmless unoffending quadruped. 

 He holds a conspicuous place among the animals of 

 the New World, and is the only creature that passes 

 life suspended by his feet from the branch of a tree. 

 The monkey and the squirrel will seize a bough with 

 their fore-paws, and pull themselves up, or rest, or 

 run upon it, but the Sloth, after securing a firm hold, 

 still remains suspended, and glides beneath one 

 branch till he can lay hold of another. Whenever 

 Waterton observed him in his native wilds, whether 

 at rest, or asleep, or on his travels, he continually 

 maintained his position. It is even evident that he 

 cannot be at ease in any situation where his body 

 is above his feet*. 



Sloths are also frequent in the woods of Terra 

 Firma. They frequent the caoba, the cedar, the 

 maria, and the balsam, though carefully avoiding 

 the deadly manchineel, with its delicious-looking 

 fruit. Nor is this extraordinary instinct confined 

 to the Sloth ; all animals instinctively pass it by. 

 The squirrel eyes it askance in his rapid bounds ; 

 monkeys, when gambolling through the forest, 

 never cling to the branches of this dreaded tree ; 

 the weary elk lies not down to rest beneath its 

 shade ; nor does the smallest bird pluck from off its 

 trunk a fibre or a moss with which to construct its 

 nest. The hospitable Habella de Carthagena is, 

 on the contrary, sought by every living creature. 



* WATERTON'S Wanderings. First and third Journey. 



