174 WANDERINGS IN 



THIRD was taken out of the body. The wourali poison 



JOURNEY. 



seems to be the only thing that will kill it quickly. 



On reference to a former part of these wanderings, 

 it will be seen that a poisoned arrow killed the 

 sloth in about ten minutes. 



So much for this harmless, unoffending animal. 

 He holds a conspicuous place in the catalogue of 

 the animals of the new world. Though natural- 

 ists have made no mention of what follows, still 

 it is not less true on that account. The sloth is 

 the only quadruped known, which spends its whole 

 life from the branch of a tree, suspended by his 

 feet. I have paid uncommon attention to him 

 in his native haunts. The monkey and squirrel 

 will seize a branch with their fore-feet, and 

 pull themselves up, and rest or run upon it ; 

 but the sloth, after seizing it, still remains sus- 

 pended, and suspended moves along under the 

 branch, till he can lay hold of another. When- 

 ever I have seen him in his native woods, whether 

 at rest, or asleep, or on his travels, I have 

 always observed that he was suspended from 

 the branch of a tree. When his form and ana- 

 tomy are attentively considered, it will appear 

 evident that the sloth cannot be at ease in any 

 situation, where his body is higher, or above his 

 feet. We will now take our leave of him. 

 Ants. In the far-extending wilds of Guiana, the 



traveller will be astonished at the immense 

 quantity of ants which he perceives on the ground 



