180 WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA 



as any other animal, and that its extraordinary 

 formation and singular habits are but further 

 proofs to engage us to admire the wonderful 

 works of Omnipotence. 



It must be observed, that the sloth does not 

 hang head-downwards like the vampire. When 

 asleep, he supports himself from a branch parallel 

 to the earth. He first seizes the branch with one 

 arm, and then with the other; and after that, 

 brings up both his legs, one by one, to the same 

 branch; so that all four are in a line: he seems 

 perfectly at rest in this position. Now, had he a 

 tail, he would be at a loss to know what to do with 

 it in this position: were he to draw it up within 

 his legs, it would interfere with them; and were 

 he to let it hang down, it would become the sport 

 of the winds. Thus his deficiency of tail is a 

 benefit to him ; it is merely an apology for a tail, 

 scarcely exceeding an inch and a half in length. 



I observed, when he was climbing, he never 

 used his arms both together, but first one and 

 then the other, and so on alternately. There is a 

 singularity in his hair, different from that of all 

 other animals, and, I believe, hitherto unnoticed 

 by naturalists ; his hair is thick and coarse at the 

 extremity, and gradually tapers to the root, 

 where it becomes fine as a spider's web. His fur 

 has so much the hue of the moss which grows on 

 the branches of the trees, that it is very difficult 

 to make him out when he is at rest. 



The male of the three-toed sloth has a longi- 

 tudinal bar of very fine black hair on his back, 

 rather lower than the shoulder-blades; on each 

 side of this black bar there is a space of yellow 



