272 FAMILY TARDIGRADA; SLOTH. 



to which the name of TARDIGRADA has been given, on account 

 of the slowness of the movements of the animals composing it, 

 consists of the Leaf-eaters ; and the second, which includes the 

 Insect and Flesh-eaters, has received the name of EFFODIENTIA, 

 on account of the digging habits which prevail in it. These 

 names are not, however, by any means universally applicable ; 

 for there are digging animals in the first group ; and slow-paced 

 ones in the second. 



240. The family TARDIGRADA, contains but a single genus of 

 animals now existing, the Bradypus or Sloth ; an animal on 

 which Naturalists have most liberally bestowed their pity. Not 

 only did Buffon fall into the error of supposing it to be an 

 imperfectly-constructed being, whose existence must be a burthen 

 to it ; but even Cuvier, whose views were in general much more 

 sagacious, fell into the same mistake. In the construction of the 

 Sloth, he remarks, "Nature seems to have amused herself in 

 producing something imperfect and grotesque ;" and he after- 

 wards goes on to speak of their " disproportioned structure," and 

 the " inconveniency of their organisation." The fact is, as Dr. 

 Buckland has well shown,* that the organisation and habits of 

 the Sloth are as completely adapted to each other, as are those of 

 any other animal ; and that our different notion respecting it is 

 founded, on our usually seeing it only in an unnatural condition, 

 for which it is not fitted. For the Sloth is formed to be produced, 

 to live, and to die, not on the ground, but in trees ; and not on 

 the branches, like the Squirrel or Monkey, but under them ; 

 and when this is once fully understood, the complete adaptation 

 of its whole structure to its mode of life becomes apparent. 



241. The first peculiarity in the construction of the Sloth, 

 which especially strikes the observer, when the animal is placed 

 upon the ground, is the length of the fore-legs, which are twice 

 as long as the hinder pair ; and the very oblique connection of 

 the hind-legs with the body, arising from the great breadth of 

 the pelvis. The structure of the wrist and ankle-joints is such, 

 that the palm or sole, instead of being directed towards the 



* Linnsean Transactions, 1835. 



