410 INTRODUCTION TO ZOOLOGY. 



lous secretary of the Royal Zoological Society of Ireland, for 

 the accompanying figure (Fig. 312). It represents the Unau, 

 or two-toed Sloth,* the first ever seen alive in these countries, 

 and is copied from a prize drawing belonging to that society. 



Fig. 312. UNAU, OR TATO-TOED SLOTH. 



"The Sloth," Mr. Waterton remarks, "is the only known 

 quadruped that spends its whole life suspended hy his feet from 

 the branches of trees. The Monkey and the Squirrel 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 

 suspended; and, suspended, moves along under the branch 

 till he can lay hold of another." The rapidity of the move- 

 ment is well illustrated by Mr. Waterton in the following 

 anecdote: " One day as we were crossing the river Esse- 

 quibo, I saw a large two-toed Sloth on the ground upon the 

 bank. How he got there nobody could tell; the Indian said 

 he never had surprised a Sloth in such a situation before; he 

 could hardly have come there to drink, for both above and 

 below the place the branches of the trees touched the water, 

 and afforded him an easy and a safe access to it. Be this as 

 it may, though the trees were not twenty yards from him, " 



* This animal formed the subject of a highly interesting Lectur 

 delivered by Mr. Ball at one of the evening meetings of the Society. ] 

 was published in Saunders's News-Letter^ April 15, 1844, and gives i 

 general view of the Sloths, recent and fossil. 



