THE THREE-TOED SLOTH. 



the bark. When it has afcended a tree with extreme labour and difficulty, 

 it never quits the lituation till the leaves, fruit, and bloflbms, are entirely 

 confumed, which, if the tree is large, will maintain it about a fortnight; it is 

 then forced by hunger to quit its lituation in fearch of another tree, and as 

 it is unable to defcend gradually, it forms itfelf into a round ball, and thus 

 drops from the branches to the ground. And here we muft again admire 

 the kind care of Providence, in clothing it with hair of fuch a thicknefs and 

 ftrength as to break the force of the fall, and preferve the creature from 

 the accidents to which fuch an event muft continually expofe it. Having 

 fallen from the tree, it lies on the ground motionlefs for fome time, as if to 

 recover itfelf ; during this period it is expofed to the attacks of wild beafts ; 

 but from this danger it is likewife preferved by its miferable countenance, 

 which is fo deplorable as to difarm the molt favage rage; and the cry 

 which it utters is fo plaintive, and generally accompanied with a kind of 

 tears, that the fierceft beaft feems to pity its lituation, and forbears to 

 moleft a creature fo completely wretched. The Sloth is a ruminating 

 animal, and has four ftomachs, like all others of this defcription. It is very 

 tenacious of life, and like the tortoife, retains the vital principle for a long 

 time after the nobler parts are taken away. 



This animal inhabits many parts of the eaftern coaft of South America. 



