SOUTH AMERICA. 



163 



extend far and wide on every side of us. This, then, is Third 



Journey. 



the proper place to go in quest of the Sloth. We will first 



Mke a near view of him. By obtaining a knowledge of 



his anatomy, we shall be enabled to account for his Anatomy of 



the Sloth. 



movements hereafter, when we see him in his proper 

 haunts. His fore-legs, or, more correctly speaking, his 

 arms, are apparently much too long, while his hind-legs 

 are very short, and look as if they could be bent almost 

 to the shape of a corkscrew. Both the fore and hind 

 legs, by their form, and by the manner in which they are 

 joined to the body, are quite incapacitated from acting 

 in a perpendicular direction, or in supporting it on 

 the earth, as the bodies of other quadrupeds are sup- 

 ported, by their legs. Hence, when you place him on the 

 floor, his belly touches the ground. Now, granted, that 

 he supported himself on his legs like other animals, never- 

 theless he would be in pain, for he has no soles to his 

 feet, and his claws are very sharp and long, and 

 curved ; so that, were his body supported by his feet, it 

 would be by their extremities, just as your body would 

 be were you to throw yourself on all fours, and try to 

 support it on the ends of your toes and fingers — a trying 

 position. Were the floor of glass, or of a polished sur- 

 face, the Sloth would actually be quite stationary ; but 

 as the ground is generally rough, with little protu- 

 berances upon it, such as stones, or roots of grass, &c., 

 tliis just suits the Sloth, and he moves his fore -legs in 



Y 2 



