

WANDERINGS IN SOUTH AMERICA. 217 



arms, are apparently much too long, while his hind-legs 

 are very short, and look as if they could be bent almost 

 to the shape of a corkscrew. Both the fore and hind legs, 

 by their form, and by the manner in which they are joined 

 to the body, are quite incapacitated from acting in a 

 perpendicular direction, or in supporting it on the earth, 

 as the bodies of other quadrupeds are supported, by their 

 legs. Hence, when you place him on the floor, his belly 

 touches the ground. Now, granted that he supported 

 himself on his legs like other animals, nevertheless he 

 would be in pain, for he has no soles to his feet, and his 

 claws are very sharp and long, and curved ; so that, were 

 his body supported by his feet it would be by their 

 extremities, just as your body would be, were you to throw 

 yourself on all fours, and try to support it on the ends of 

 your toes and fingers a trying position. Were the floor 

 of glass, or of a polished surface, the sloth would actually 

 be quite stationary : but as the ground is generally rough, 

 with little protuberances upon it, such as stones, or roots 

 of grass, &c., this just suits the sloth, and he moves his 

 fore-legs in all directions, in order to find something to 

 lay hold of; and when he has succeeded, he pulls himself 

 forward, and is thus enabled to travel onwards, but at the 

 same time in so tardy and awkward a manner, as to acquire 

 him the name of Sloth. 



Indeed his looks and his gestures evidently betray his 

 uncomfortable situation ; and as a sigh every now and 

 then escapes him, we may be entitled to conclude that he 

 is actually in pain. 



Some years ago I kept a sloth in my room for several 

 months. I often took him out of the house and placed 

 him upon the ground, in order to have an opportunity of 

 observing his motions. If the ground were rough, he 

 would pull himself forwards, by means of his fore-legs, at 



