160 VERTEBRATA. MAMMALIA. 



the branches, lest they should break while the ani- 

 mals are passing from one tree to another ; but as 

 soon as the wind rises, the branches of the neigh- 

 bouring trees become interwoven, and then the Sloth 

 seizes hold of them, and pursues his journey in 

 safety. He travels at a good round pace, and were 

 you to see him, as I have done, passing from tree 

 to tree, you would never think of calling him a 

 Sloth."* The stomach of these animals is very com- 

 plex ; though it does not chew the cud, and, con- 

 trary to what usually prevails in herbivorous tribes, 

 the intestines are extraordinarily short. Probably 

 the length of time the food is compelled to remain 

 in the stomach compensates for this. The Three- 

 toed Sloth was long believed to be a solitary excep- 

 tion to the general rule, that Mammals have but 

 seven joints in the neck : but the two which ap- 

 peared supernumerary in this instance have been 

 proved by Mr. Bell to belong really to the back. 

 Still these vertebras, though on account of possess- 

 ing rudimentary ribs they must be reckoned as in the 

 back, are to all practical purposes in the neck, and 

 afford a very beautiful proof that Divine wisdom and 

 beneficence have been as freely manifested to the 

 Sloth as to other animals. Its habitual position, 

 already alluded to, rendered it necessary that, in order 

 to see the ground to guard against enemies, &c., the 

 neck should be capable of very great flexion, and to 

 effect this two additional points of motion are granted, 

 without breaking the normal number allotted to the 



* Wanderings, 1825, 4to. p. 165. 



