THE SLOTH 175 



only in South America. The remains of huge monsters, which 

 formerly belonged to the group, but are now extinct, have also 

 been found in the fossil state, that is, buried in ancient deposits, in 

 South America. 



THE SLOTH 



When told that an animal exists which spends almost the 

 whole of its life in a state of suspension, with its head hanging 

 down and its feet in the air, we may fancy the assertion difficult 

 to believe. Yet it is perfectly true, for this is the attitude adopted 

 by that most remarkable animal, the Sloth, during the whole 

 of the night and the greater part of the day. 



This creature, in fact, eats suspended, walks suspended, and 

 sleeps suspended ; for it lives entirely among the branches of trees, 

 from which it hangs by means of the enormous claws with which 

 its feet are furnished. These claws are curved, so that they can 

 be hooked over a bough, and the muscles of the limbs never seem 

 to be fatigued by the weight of the body. 



This they have to sustain day and night; for a sloth never 

 lies down like other animals, even when sleeping, but remains still 

 hanging from a bough, with all its feet placed closely together. 

 When in this position it hardly looks like an animal at all, and 

 might very easily be mistaken for a loose bundle of hay. 



If a sloth be taken down from its leafy home and placed upon 

 level ground, it can only travel in a very awkward and ungainly 

 manner. So ill adapted are the limbs for walking that in this 

 position they cannot even bear the weight of the body, which drags 

 upon the ground like that of a reptile. 



The feet, too, have no soles, and are naturally turned inwards, 

 so that the animal is obliged to balance itself as well as it can 

 upon their outer edges; and it can only drag itself painfully along 

 by hitching the great claws of the fore-feet into some inequality 

 in the ground, and pulling its body a few inches forward. It was 

 in consequence of this slow method of progression that the animal 

 was originally named the "sloth". 



When placed amid its natural surroundings, however, it is 



