THE SLOTH. 409 



How far these may be considered as the un- 

 finished productions of nature, I will not take 

 upon me to determine : if we measure their hap- 

 piness by our sensations, nothing, it is certain, 

 can be more miserable ; but it is probable, con- 

 sidered with regard to themselves, they may have 

 some stores of comfort unknown to us, which 

 may set them upon a level with some other infe- 

 rior ranks of the creation : if a part of their life 

 be exposed to pain and labour, it is compensated 

 by a larger portion of plenty, indolence, and safe- 

 ty. In fact, they are formed very differently from 

 all other quadrupeds, and it is probable they have 

 different enjoyments. Like birds, they have but 

 one common vent for the purposes of propaga- 

 tion, excrement, and urine. Like the tortoise, 

 which they resemble in the slowness of their mo- 

 tion, they continue to live some time after their 

 nobler parts are wounded, or even taken away. 

 They bear the marks of all those homely-formed 

 animals, that, like rude machines, are not easily 

 discomposed. 



Its note,* according to Kircher, is an ascend- 

 ing and descending hexachord, which it utters 

 only by night ; its look is so piteous as to move 

 compassion ; it is also accompanied with tears, 

 that dissuade every body from injuring so wretch- 

 ed a being. Its abstinence from food is remark- 

 ably powerful : one that had fastened itself by 

 its feet to a pole, and was so suspended across 

 two beams, remained forty days without meat, 



* Pennant's Synopsis. 



