ANIMAL LOCOMOTION 193 



serves as a foot. The sea-lion is more agile than 

 the walrus when on terra firma, and can travel 

 fairly quickly by a curious and floppy kind of 

 gallop, the hinder part of the body and the hind 

 flippers being lifted clear from the ground and then 

 thrown forward as it progresses. 



Among the hoofed animals which claim special 

 attention, the chevrotain or mouse -deer is curious 

 because it walks upon the extreme tips of its toes 

 and places its feet upon the ground with a very 

 stiff action. In former days it was believed that 

 the creature had no joints. Very different, how- 

 ever, is the gait of the springbok antelopes and 

 the gnus or wildebeests, which exhibit a most 

 graceful action — prancing, pirouetting and spring- 

 ing into the air when indulging in their gambols. 

 Then, again, a very peculiar pose is assumed by 

 the wart-hog, for when grubbing for food it will 

 frequently walk with the so-called 'knees' of its 

 fore -legs applied to the ground. 



The great ant-eater when walking bends the toes 

 of its fore -feet back ; but the manner in which 

 the sloth progresses is even more remarkable, 

 for the creature walks in an upside-down position, 

 holding on to the branches of the trees by means of 

 the powerful and curved claws with which its fore- 

 and hind-feet are armed. Occasionally, however, 

 it will descend to the ground, but in such a situation 

 it is only able to proceed with the greatest difficulty, 

 dragging itself along by hooking on to the stones 

 and tussocks of grass that may happen to be in 

 its path. When thus engaged the animal supports 



