76 NATURAL HISTORY. 



and even Cuvier speaks of the " inconveniency of its or- 

 ganization," and says of it that " nature seems to have 

 amused herself in producing something grotesque and 

 imperfect." But there is perfect adaptation here, as in 

 every other animal, of the organization to the habits. It 

 is constructed to live just in the way that it does, and 

 moves about in the trees with great facility. It has been 

 known to go from the bottom to the top of a high tree 

 in a minute's time. With its strong curved claws it 

 sleeps hanging from the branches of a tree as easily as a 

 bird sleeps on its perch. The three species of Sloths are 

 found only in the forests of the tropical portion of South 

 America. They live on the leaves of trees. 



129. The order of Marsupials is named from a pouch 

 or bag (Latin, marsupium) which the females have for 

 carrying their young for some time after birth. The 

 young are born in an immature helpless state, and a sort 

 of nest is thus provided for them in the body of the moth- 

 er. Even after they have become able to leave it, they 

 flee to it whenever they are alarmed. There are about 

 eighty species. All of these animals are found only in 

 Australia and the neighboring islands, except the Opos- 

 sums, which are found on the western continent, especial- 

 ly in South America. 



130. The Great Kangaroo, Fig. 65 (p. 77), a native of 

 Australia, has very long and powerful hind legs, and can 

 make leaps of fifteen feet. Its fore feet are short and 

 small, and are used more as hands than as feet. Its 

 length is about five feet, and its tail is three feet long. 

 There are many different species of Kangaroos, all having 

 a general resemblance to this. 



131. The Opossums are peculiar to America, There 

 are about twenty species. They are arboreal in their 

 habits, and they are assisted in their climbing, like some 

 of the Monkey tribe, by their tails, which are long and 

 scaly. In one other respect they are still more allied to 

 the Monkeys. The inner toe of the hinder foot is some- 



