SOME SOUTH AMERICAN RULERS 133 



lodons, and when they visited that pool of water, 

 they were far away from Patagonia, where most of 

 the Mylodons then lived. 



The only representative of the sloth family now 

 in existence does not look much as though his 

 ancestors were among the strongest of all the ani- 

 mals that ever made their homes on this earth. 

 For the living sloth is a small, weak creature, unable 

 to travel over the ground except by crawling along 

 on the sides of his hands and feet. So he lives in 

 trees and travels through them by hanging down- 

 ward from the branches to w T hich he clings with 

 his claws. When he wants to sleep he rolls him- 

 self up until he looks like a ball, then suspends 

 himself from a branch and there hangs, slumbering 

 as comfortably as though in a nice, cosy nest. 

 When hungry this creature is satisfied to eat the 

 leaves nearest him, although others, softer and 

 juicier, are but a little distance away. This is 

 because he is too slothful to forage around for his 

 food. 



How different were his mighty ancestors! For 

 they not only went far at times in search of a meal, 



