MAMMALIA. BRUTA. Sloth. ic 3 



hair, which fheds to every fide from the f'ummit, or ridge of the back : The head, at the top of 

 the face, is large and broad, having fmall dufky eyes, with round pupils -, the lower part of the face 

 is narrow and projecting, with the mouth placed at the extremity of the fnout or muzzle ; the neck 

 is lhort and thick, and the ears are fhort, erect, hairy, and hid in the fur ; the mouth opens pretty 

 largely, and, when fhut, the upperTips receive the lower within their edges ; at the fore part of the 

 fnout the lips are thin, and meet together without overlapping, the lower lip being rather longer ; 

 and they form occafionally a projecting tube for fucking; the tongue is long, flat, broadifh, and ra- 

 ther thin at the extremity, which is fquared ; the noTtrils are covered by a lengthened flap, like a 

 fecond upper lip, which lies flat over them, extending as far forwards as the upper lip, and feparated 

 from it by a horizontal flit on each fide, above an inch deep ; the fore part of the upper jaw and 

 fnout, for about four inches, wants bone, and its place is fupplied by a moveable cartilage, feemingly 

 articulated to the fore part of the upper jaw bone ; by railing this upwards, the animal can open its 

 mouth without feparating the jaws, and it employs this method when fucking in drink or foft food ', 

 the tail is very fhort, and is covered with the fame black hair as the reft of the body ; the legs are 

 diftant, fhort, ftrong, and covered with the fame kind of hair as the body ; the fore legs are fomc- 

 what arched outwards, and allow of considerable lateral action-, the feet are fmall, and hairy on the 

 upper parts, but have naked black foles ; each foot has five fhort toes, let clofe together, and fur- 

 nifhed with long, narrow, hooked, white claws, about three inches long, and not retractile. The 

 whole length of the animal is about four feet and a half, meafured from the origin of the tail, along 

 the arch of the back, to the end of the fnout : It is about three feet high to the middle of the 

 back when ftanding, and near five feet in circumference. 



The general afpedt of this animal, which is a female, is lurid, heavy, clumfy, and forbidding, 

 though not of a ferocious appearance ; having a general refemblance to a mixture between the Bear, 

 the Sloth, and the Hog. In its ftate of confinement it always keeps a groveling pofition, on its bel- 

 ly, with its fnout lying on the ground; and, even when forced to rife, ftill keeps the head exceed- 

 ingly low and flouching. When irritated, it gives one fhort, harfh cry, between a grunt and a roar, 

 which it does not repeat but on a fecond provocation. It catches at any thing prefented to it with 

 one or both fore feet, carrying the fubftance to its mouth, and biting hard with the grinders on one 

 fide. The general colour is black, except the face, which is dark grey, and a few grey fpots between 

 the legs, and on the breaft and belly. 



In its present ftate of confinement, the keeper fays that it feeds on bread, and is fond of fruit, 

 raw eggs, fat, and marrow, but will not eat roots. When any thing fluid is prefented, it fucks ftrong,- 

 ly through a tubular opening of the lips, already defcribed. The keeper fays, that this animal was 

 dug out. of a fand hill near Patna in Bengal ; and that, on feveral occafions, when.loofe, it has im- 

 mediately endeavoured to burrow in the ground. I am inclined to think, however, that the feet 

 are formed for climbmg trees, and by no means for digging ; as he foles, efpecially of the fore feet, 

 are narrow, and as the claws are narrow and hooked : Befides, it is fond of fruits which grow on 

 trees, and rejects roots which are dug out of the ground. 



This animal is hitherto a non-defcript, at leaft fo far as I. can learn, and was- lately exhibited in 

 Edinburgh, under the foolifh name of Lwn-monfier ; but by what name it is. known, in the language/ 

 of the country from whence it came, the keeper is not informed ; neither does he know any thing 

 of its hiftory or native manners. It comes neareft in generic characters to the Sloth, with which I 

 have arranged it ; and the foregoing defcription will give a general idea of the animal to naturalists,, 

 untd its hiftory can be inveftigated more accurately when its place comes to be known. 



Since- 



