274 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



of a being that is equally sluggish in its sensations and its 

 motions. The female has but two mammae, situated on 

 the breast. She usually produces but one young one, 

 which is covered with hair at its birth, and which the 

 mother drags languidly about on her back. 



The Ai is an inhabitant of the southern regions of the 

 New Continent, from Brazil as far as Mexico. The appli- 

 cation of the term Sloth to these animals, and to the other 

 species of Bradypus, is not, strictly speaking, perfectly 

 correct ; their extraordinary slowness of motion is not the 

 effect of indolence or sloth ; it is a part of the organization 

 of the animal, an essential of its nature, and it is no more 

 in his power to accelerate his movements than it is per- 

 mitted to the Hare to creep, or the stag to crawl ; it is in 

 vain to urge, to stimulate, or to strike him ; nothing in the 

 world can quicken him. Leaning upon one side, he raises 

 one of his fore-legs, makes it describe a long arch, and 

 then lets it fall again with the most extreme indifference ; 

 afterwards, as if fatigued by such an amazing effort, the 

 animal rests on the side where the leg was advanced with 

 so much difficulty, and in a few moments puts the other in 

 motion in a similar manner. ; The hinder part of the body 

 follows with equal slowness. It has been calculated that 

 the Ai would employ an entire day to make fifty steps ; 

 from this it follows, that, supposing it to proceed without 

 interruption, it would take nearly a month to travel a 

 single mile. 



Although, from the nature of its aliments, this animal is 

 obliged to ascend trees, yet it appears to climb with as 

 much difficulty and pain, as it walks with on level ground. 

 It takes nearly two days before it reaches the branches of a 

 tree ; it feeds upon the leaves, the buds, and the fruits; it 

 never quits the tree until it is completely stripped ; it 

 gnaws branch after branch, and when it no longer finds 

 any thing to browse on, it will yet remain there for many 



