SYNOPSIS OF THE 



perfectly edentatous ; toes varying in number, and generally 

 armed with great nails ; orbits and temporal fossse united. 



Food various, vegetable for some of the genera, insects 

 and flesh for others. 



Habits various, generally inactive. 



hihabits South America, Central Africa, the Indian 

 Islands, and New Holland. 



Section I. JS. Tardigrada or Sloths. 

 Genus I. — Bradypus. 



Incisors §; canines -fi; cheek-teeth ||=18; canines 

 larger than the cheek-teeth, pyramidical, and pointed; 

 cheek-teeth cylindrical; head small; muzzle truncated; 

 neck short ; nostrils at the extremity of muzzle ; anterior 

 extremities longer than the posterior, with two or three toes \ 

 armed with strong nails; fur harsh and long; intestines 

 short ; no caecum ; arteries of limbs commence by infinite , 

 ramifications, which finally unite. 



712. 1. B. Tridaciylus (the Three-toed Sloth.) Three; 

 nails to all the feet ; has nine cervical vertebrae ; gray, \ 

 generally spotted on the back, brownish, or white ; soles of 

 the feet hairy ; fur harsh. 



Ignavus Arcthopithecus, Gesner. Quad. 869. Papio, 2. 1 

 Johnston. Bradypus Tridactylus, Lin, Tardigradus, Briss. ' 

 Reg. Anim. 34. Cuaikare, Barrere. , 



Ai, Marcgrave, Brazil, 221. Sloth, Edward's Av. 220. 



Icon. Johnston,tab.^\. Buffon, xui. 5 and 6. Edwards, 

 Shaw, &c. Ency. Method, t. 25, f. 1. Penn» Quad. t. 91. 



Inhabits all South America. 



The type of F. Cuvier's genus Acheus, and considered 

 as the true Bradypus by liliger, and most succeeding au- 

 thors. 



Obs. The Ai seems to vary considerably as the Spotless Ai, 

 the Yellow-faced Ai, the Collard Ai (treated as a distinct spe- 



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