ZOOLOGY. 



Previous to a moro particular description of the pre- 

 sent animal, it may be necessary to observe, that although 

 it does not agree entirely, in the form of its feet, with 

 either the three-toed or two-toed Bradypus, which are 

 found in other countries, yet the similitude is so strong 

 in most peculiarities, which it possesses, that the natu- 

 ralist may perhaps be considered as fully justified in 

 placing it with the Genus Bradypus or Sloth. It is neces- 

 sary to repeat, that this animal, of which there are but 

 three or four species known, has received its name from 

 the sluggishness and inactivity of its character, and for 

 its remaining for a long time fixed to one spot. It inha- 

 bits woody situations, where it resides amongst the branches 

 of trees, feeding upon the leaves and fruit, and is a soli- 

 tary animal rarely to be met with. It is armed with 

 hooked claws and the fore feet are in general longer than 

 the hinder ones : some of the species of the Bradypus 

 have a tail, others are without. 



Amongst the numerous and curious tribes of animal*, 

 which the hitherto almost undiscovered regions of New 

 Holland have opened to our view, the creature which we 

 are now about to describe stands singularly pre-eminent. 

 Whether we consider the uncouth and remarkable form 

 of its body, which is particularly awkward and unweildy, 

 or its strange physiognomy and manner of livings we are 

 at a loss to imagine for what particular scale of useful- 

 ness or happiness such an animal could by the great 

 Author of Nature possibly be destined. That the soli- 

 tary and desert wastes of that immense country should be 

 animated by creatures of so different a texture and appear- 

 ance to any hitherto kno^yn, no Naturalist, however sanguine 

 in his expectations, could have easily suspected. Many 

 of the animals that reside in the pathless and extensive 

 forests of New Holland, are furnished with a flap or appen- 



