THE SLOTH. 
45 
THE SLOTH. 
/^''his is the most sluggish and inactive of all animals, and, 
judging from its appearance, it seems to be the most help- 
less and wretched. Its every motion seems to he the effect 
of painful exertions, which hunger alone is capable of exciting. 
It takes up its abode chiefly in trees, where it will remain until it 
strips every vestage of verdure therefrom — sparing neither fruit, 
blossom, nor leaf ; after which it is said to devour even the hark. 
Being unable to descend, it throws itself to the ground, where it 
remains at the bottom of the tree till the pangs of huno-er again 
spurs it to renew its toils in search of subsistence. Its motions 
are accompanied with a piteous and lamentable cry, which ter- 
rifies beasts of prey, and proves its best defence. Though slow, 
awkward, and almost incapable in its motion, the Sloth is stron 
remarkably tenacious of life, and capable of enduring a long ab- 
stinence from food. There are two kinds of sloths, and are dis- 
tinguished by the number of their claws. The one, called the 
A,i, is about the size of a fox, and has three long claws on each 
foot; its legs are clumsy and awkwardly placed, — the fore legs 
being longer than the hinder add to the difficulty of its progress- 
ive motion ; its body is covered with a rough coat of long'hair, of 
O’ 
the nose, and another under the chin. The otter makes its bed 
in a secluded spot by the side of a river or lake, under a bank, 
where it can have easy access to the water, whither it flies upon 
the least alarm. It destroys great quantities of fish, pursuing 
which it often swims against the stream. As soon as it catches 
a fish he takes it to the shore and devours it, and then returns to 
the water in search of more. Otters are found in most parts of 
the world, with but little variation in their conformation. 
