SLO 
limbs at*e covered with a lightifli brown -coloured 
hair; and the feet proceed from the body in fuch 
an oblique direction, that the foles fcldom touch 
the ground : when the animal, therefore, is 
obliged to ftep forward, it fcrapes on the back of 
the nails along the furface, and then wheeling the 
limbs circularly about, it at length places it's foot 
in a progreflive pofition : the other three limbs are 
brought about with equal difficulty ; and then it 
travels at the rate of about three yards in an hour. 
The poor creature, indeed, feldom changes it's 
place, unlefs by conftraint, and when ftrongly im- 
pelled by hunger. 
The Sloth inhabits many parts of the eaftern 
coaft of South America. It is the meaneft, moft 
fluggilh, and ill-formed, of all exiftences. It fub- 
fifts entirely on vegetable food, particularly the 
leaves and fruit of trees ; and often feeds on the 
very bark when nothing elfe remains on the tree 
for it's fuftenance. It is a ruminant animal ; 
and, like thofe of the kind, has four ftomachs, 
which confequently require a large portion of food 
to fupply them. In lefs than a fortnight, it ge- 
nerally llrips a large tree of all it's verdure : while 
any thing remains that can fatisfy it's hunger, it 
is very unwilling to defcend ; but, when totally 
deftitute of provifions above, it crawls flowly from 
branch to branch in queft of fomewhat to pacify 
the cravings of it's appetite ; and at laft is obliged 
torifquethe dangers that await it below. 
The utmoft exertions are requifite in order to 
this animal's afcending a tree : but being utterly 
unable to defcend in a fimilar manner, it rolls it- 
felf into a ball, and thus drops from the branches ; 
and as it can by no means break the violence of 
it's defcent, it falls to the ground like a heavy, 
unanimated mafs : there it remains for fome time 
without apparent fenfation, or at leaft totally in- 
acStive. Having recovered from the effe6ts of it's 
fall, it now prepares for a journey to fome neigh- 
bouring tree. This is the moft tedious and pain- 
ful expedition that can poflibly be conceived : 
the travelling to a tree at the diftance of one hun- 
dred vards, proves the toilfome labour of a whole 
week.' It's motions are almoft imperceptible, 
and it frequently baits on the road. At every ef- 
fort to move, it utters a moft plaintive and m.elan- 
choly cry, at once produdive of pity and difguft ; 
and this lamentable found appears to be it's chief 
defence, as every beaft of prey is fo afFedted by it 
as to quit the Sloth with horror. Being arrived 
at the deftined tree, it afcends the fame with 
greater eafe than it moved on the plain ; and no 
fooner has it gained it's afcent, than it falls to 
with a moft voracious appetite; and by greedily 
devouring both the leaves and the bark, deftroys 
the very fource of it's fuftenance. 
The very afped of the Sloth is fo deplorable, 
as to excite compaftion; and it's cry is generally 
accompanied with a kind of tears which diffuade 
every animal from injuring fuch a wretched crea- 
ture. It's abftinence from food, notwithftanding 
the eagernefs of it's appetite, is fo very remark- 
able, that one of the kind has been known to fub- 
fift fortv days without any nourifhment whatever. 
The ftrength of it's feet is fo extraordinary, that 
whatever it feizes on can by no means efcape from 
it's claws: and Kircher informs us, that a Sloth 
feized a dog with it's feet, and held him four days 
in that fituation, at the end of which the poor ani- 
mal perifhed through hunger. 
Were wc to judge of the happinefs of this ani- 
SLO 
mal by onr own fenfations, it is certain that 
thing can be more miferable; but ic may proba-^ 
bly have fome ftore of comfort with which we are 
unacquainted, and which may place it on a level 
with various other ranks of the creation. If it is 
fometimes fatigued with labour, diftrefs, or paioj 
it is compen fated by a larger proportion of plenty, 
indolence, and fecurity. Sloths are, however, 
very differently formed from all other quadru- 
peds, and doubtleis have different enjoyments. 
Like birds, they have but one common vent for 
the purpofes of propagation, and their natural 
evacuations: and, like tortoifes, which they re- 
femble in the flownefs of their motion, they are 
poffeffed of the vivacious principle for a confider- 
able time after their nobler parts are taken away. 
But, infignificant as this creature certainly i*;^ 
we p-iay difcover abundant traces of a kind Provi- 
dence in it's formation and prefervation. Though 
not defigned for motion, it's feet are nevcrdieleVs 
furniftied with claws, which enable it to maintain 
that ftation which it's neceflities call for. Help- 
lefs as it is, and liable to a thoufand mifchances, 
it's voice and appearance are generally fufficienc 
to protedl it from more powerful anim.^ls; and as 
it would be impoflible for a creature of ilich im- 
perfeft formation to procure water after the man- 
ner of moft other animals, Nature has indulgently 
taken care that it Ihould experience no inconve-^ 
nience from the want of it. 
Sloath, Two-Toed, or Unan; the Brady- 
pus Didaftylus of Linnseus. The variations of 
this animal from the preceding having been al- 
ready noticed, we need only obferve, that it inha- 
bits South America and the ifle of Ceylon ; though 
Buffon has fixed therefidence of the kind to Ame- 
rica alone. Seba exprefsly fays, that his fpecimen 
was imported from Ceylon; and Pennant affures 
us, that he was informed by a gentleman diftin- 
guiftied in the literary world, and long refident irt 
India, that he had feen this animal brought from 
the Paliacat m.ountains, which lie in fight of Ma- 
drafs. Hence it is evident that it is common to 
both continents. 
Barbot and Bofman defcribe an animal by the 
name of potto, that is a native of Guinea; and, 
from every circum.ftance of their defcription, wc 
may conclude it to be at leaft a variety of the 
Sloth genus: for thofe naturalifts were too ob- 
fervant of the Guinea animals to miftake one 
whofe characfters were fo ftrongly marked as thofe 
of the Sloth. 
SLOE-WORM. An infeft found on the 
leaves of the floe, or black thorn; and fometimes 
on thofe of the garden-plum. It belongs to that 
clafs of infefts called by French naturalifts/^a^j 
chenilles, or baftard caterpillars. 
All the animals of this clafs are very remark- 
able for the different figure they exhibit after the 
laft change of their (kins; but this is more ob- 
vious in none than in the Sloe-infedl, which is of 
a greyifti hue, with long fpines of a deep brown 
colour: thefe give the animal a very remarkable 
figure, and are caft off with the feveral fkins, 
while the new coverings have others in their place ; 
but in the laft transformation preceding that into 
the nymph ftate, the change made in the creature 
is fuch, that nothing but ocular demonftration 
could convince a perfon that ic was the fame. 
After this transformation, the infeft becomes 
perfectly fmooth, and of a dirty yellowifti coloyr, 
without the leaft appearance of fpines, or the 
llighteft 
