160 NATURAL HISTORY. 



and naked, except at the extremities. It ate only the young shoots and terminal buds of the tin- 

 expanded leaves, rejecting the old leaves on the boughs, which were brought to it daily. It was always 

 perfectly silent, and its countenance and manners were most expressive of melancholy. It fed by day, 

 and slept much ; being kept in a room, it sat upright upon its short tail, embracing the legs of a chair 

 with its arms and legs. 



When resident at Para, near the mouth of the Amazons, Mr. Burchell also kept two full-grown 

 Sloths, and a young one of a three-toed species (not Eradyjms tridactylus, but of nearly similar form 

 and habits), in a garden enclosed with strong stockades. They were kept tied up to the pillars of a 

 verandah, to prevent their escape. Against these pillars they always placed themselves in an erect 

 position, embracing the pillar with all four legs ; when not tied to the~veranclah, they got up into trees 

 in the garden. They slept both by day and night, always fixing their arms round something or other. 

 Their food, consisting of branches, was brought to them in the verandah. They appeared extremely 

 stupid, and would never come to the food. They would eat no leaves but those of the Cecropia. 



They did not mount very large trees, and they ascended with their breasts pressing the trunk of 

 the tree, advancing the hind-leg beyond the fore-leg. On the ground, they could neither stand 

 nor walk, but lay sprawling on their belly, and dragged, or rather warped, themselves along, 

 laying hold of a bunch of grass or stone with their three claws, which operated like grappling- 

 irons, or, rather, pincers. All these died in a month or two. In their wild state they are seldom 

 seen, from their colour mingling with the grey foliage of the trees, and from their being so extremely 

 quiet and slow. The tame Sloths never willingly remained on the ground, except to pass from one 

 tree to another. All the movements of the animal are slow. It moves its claws slowly. In 

 eating it chews slowly ; it also climbs slowly. The moisture of the leaves it eats suffices it for drink, 

 without descending to obtain water. None of those kept by Mr. Burchell were ever seen to drink. 

 The full-grown animals were never heard to utter any sound, but the young one occasionally, though 

 rarely, gave a short cry or whistling squeak, of a single note. 



They showed no indication of fear, and seemed to give attention only with their eyes. They took 

 no notice of the boy who often carried them across the garden to their place in the verandah, with 

 their long arms sprawling; the only objects of their regard were trees. They fight on their backs, and 

 grapple their enemy to strangulation. The use of the long wool that covers the body, and even the 

 face, seems to be to guard them from the annoyance of insects. Possibly it may preserve them from 

 the attacks of Snakes, which are, doubtless, their greatest enemies. 



The Sloth spends nearly the whole of its life in the trees, and travels along the branches 

 body downwards. It rarely comes to the ground, on which it walks with difficulty, and it occa- 

 sionally takes to the water and swims. It looks slothful enough when asleep, for it then resembles a 

 bunch of rough hair, and a jumble of limbs close together, hanging to a branch ; but when awake, 

 it is industrious in its search for nice twigs and leaves, and moves along the under side of the 

 branches of the trees with some activity. It seizes the ends of adjoining branches, clinging to 

 the leafy mass, and moves from tree to tree quickly enough, when it is requisite, and it has a 

 very singular power of moving the head and neck backwards in seeking food. When the atmo- 

 sphere is still, the Sloth keeps to its tree, feeding on the leaves and twigs, but when there is 

 wind, and the branches of neighbouring trees come in contact, the opportunity is seized, and the 

 animal moves along the forest, under the shady cover of the boughs. The Indians have a saying 

 that "when the wind blows the Sloths begin to crawl," and the reason is thus evident 

 enough the animal cannot jump, but it can hang, swing, and crawl suspended. Mr. Waterton 

 states, however, that " the Sloth travels at a good round pace, and were you to see him passing 

 from tree to tree you would never think of calling him a Sloth. Being born up in a tree, living 

 amongst the branches, feeding on leaves, and finally dying amidst the foliage, and enjoying life as 

 much as any other animal, its structure and conformation are, of course, admirably suited for this 

 arboreal existence. Its power of grasp is great, and is assisted by the great bent claws as it hangs 

 by its feet when asleep, and also often when it is dead. One which was much frightened by being 

 taken from the forest had a pole placed near it at a little distance from 1,he ground, on two 

 supports. It clung directly to the pole and hung on. A Dog was then made to attack the Sloth, 

 which seized it in its long claws, and did not let go until the enemy died." 



