442 



THE SLOTH 



five or six feet high, where they live in com- 

 munity. When this animal approaches an 

 ant-hill, it creeps slowly forward on ils belly, 

 taking every precaution to keep itself con- 

 cealed, till it comes within a proper distance 

 of the place where it intends to make its ban- 

 quet; there lying closely along at its length, 

 it thrusts forth its round red tongue, which is 

 often two feet long, across the path of these 

 busy insects, and there lets it lie motionless 

 for several minutes together. The ants of 

 that country, some of which are half an inch 

 long, considering it as a piece of flesh acci- 

 dentally thrown before them, come forth and 

 swarm upon it in great numbers: but wher- 

 ever they touch they stick; for this instru- 

 ment is covered with a slimy fluid, which, 

 like bird-lime, entangles every creature that 

 lights upon it. When, therefore, the ant-bear 

 has found a sufficient number for one morsel, 

 it instantly draws in the tongue, and devours 

 them all in a moment ; after which it still 

 continues in its position, practising the 



[Besides the animal here described, are others of the 

 same kind ; the most remarkable of which are, the little 

 Ant-eater, or Fourmiller, and the prickly Ant-eater of 

 New Holland. 



The former is singular for its having only two toes on 

 the fore feet, armed with strong claws ; and a tail which 

 it is able to coil round the branches of trees, and hold fast 

 by. The claws on the fore feet are extremely dispro- 

 portionate ; the outer one being very large, and the inner 

 one much smaller. The whole animal is clothed in a 

 beautiful, soft, curled, pale yellow fur. It is a native of 

 Guiana. 



same arts until its hunger is entirely appeas- 

 ed; it then retires to its hiding-place once 

 more, where it continues in indolent exis- 

 tence, till again excited by the calls of hun- 

 ger. 



Such is the luxurious life of a creature, that 

 seems of all others the most helpless and de- 

 formed. It finds safety in its hiding-places 

 from its enemies, and an ample supply in some 

 neighbouring ant-hill for all its appetites. As 

 it only .tries to avoid its pursuers, it is seldom 

 discovered by them ; yet helpless as this ani- 

 mal is, when driven to an extremity, though 

 without teeth, it will fight with its claws with 

 great obstinacy. With these arms alone, it 

 has often been found to oppose the dog, and 

 even the jaguar. It throws itself upon its 

 back, fastens upon its enemy with all its 

 claws, sticks with great strength and per- 

 severance, and even after killing his invader, 

 w T hich is sometimes the case, does not quit its 

 hold, but remains fastened upon it with vin- 

 dictive desperation. 



The prickly Ant-eater is a short, roundish animal, with 

 a long tubular mouth, and entirely covered over on the 

 upper parts with strong sharp spines, resembling those of 

 the Porcupine. Its tail is very short, and entirely con- 

 cealed in the spines. The head, legs, and under parts of 

 the body, are thickly covered with a dark-brown harsh 

 hair. On its fore feet are five strong claws, and four on 

 the hinder. In its mode of life it resembles the rest of its 

 tribe, being generally found in the midst of some large 

 ant-hill. When disturbed, it burrows with great strength 

 and despatch under ground, during which exertion its body 

 is lengthened out in a surprising manner.] 



CHAPTER LXXII. 



THE SLOTH. 



OF the Sloth there are two different kinds, 

 distinguished from each other by their claws ; 

 the one, which in its native country is called 

 the Ma, having only two claws upon the fore 

 feet, and being without a tail; the other, 

 which is called the at, having a tail, and three 

 claws upon each foot. The unan has the 

 snout longer, the ears more apparent, and the 

 fur very different from the other. It differs 



also in the number of its ribs, this having 

 forty-six, while the ai has but twenty-eight. 

 These differences, however, which though 

 very apparent, have been but little regarded 

 in the description of two animals which so 

 strongly resemble each other in the general 

 outlines of their figure, in their appetites, 

 and their helpless formation. 



They are both, therefore, described under 



