166 



WANDERINGS IN 



Third it liaiig down, it would become the sport of the winds. 



Journey. 



Thus his deficiency of tail is a benefit to him ; it is merely 



an apology for a tail, scarcely exceeding an inch and a 

 half in length. 



I observed, when he was climbing, he never used his 

 arms both together, but first one and then the other, and 

 so on alternately. There is a singularity in his hair, 

 different from that of all other animals, and, I believe, 

 hitherto unnoticed by naturalists ; his hair is thick and 

 coarse at the extremity, and gradually tapers to the root, 

 where it becomes fine as the finest spider's web. His 

 fur has so much the hue of the moss which grows on the 

 branches of the trees, that it is very difficult to make him 

 out when he is at rest. 



The male of the three -toed Sloth has a longitudinal 

 bar of very fine black hair on his back, rather lower than 

 the shoulder-blades ; on each side of this black bar 

 there is a space of yellow hair, equally fine ; it has the 

 appearance of being pressed into the body, and looks 

 exactly as if it had been singed. If we examine the 

 anatomy of his fore -legs, we shall immediately perceive 

 by their firm and muscular texture, how very capable 

 they are of supporting the pendent weight of his body, 

 both in climbing and at rest ; and, instead of pronouncing 

 them a bungled composition, as a celebrated naturalist 

 has done, Ave shall consider them as remarkably well 

 calculated to perform their extraordinary functions. 



