636 
THE AT OB THREE-TOED SLOTH 
THE SLOTH. 
L the last group of the mammalia we find a very remarkable structure, adapted to serve a 
particular end, and long misunderstood by zoologists. The common Sloth, sometimes called 
the Two-toed Sloth, is a native of the West Indies, where it is not very often seen, although 
it is not an uncommon animal. 
The peculiarity to be noticed in all the Sloths, of which there are several species, is, that 
they pass the whole of their lives suspended, with their backs downwards, from the branches 
of trees. The Sloth never gets upon 
a bough, but simply hooks his 
curved talons over it, and hangs in 
perfeet security. In order to enable 
the animal to suspend itself with- 
out danger of falling, the limbs are 
enormously strong, the fore-legs are 
remarkable for their length, and the 
toes of all four feet are furnished 
with strong, curved claws. Upon 
the ground the Sloth is entirely out 
of its element, as its limbs are 
wholly unadapted for supporting 
the weight of the body, and its long 
claws cannot be employed as ad- 
juncts to the feet. The only man- 
ner in which a Sloth can advance, 
when he is unfortunately placed in 
such a position, is by hitching his 
claws into any depression that may 
afford him a hold, and so dragging 
himself slowly and painfully for- 
ward. On the trees, however, he 
is quite a different creature, full of 
life and animation, and traversing 
the branches at a speed which is 
anything but slothful. The Sloth 
travels best in windy weather, be- 
cause the branches of trees are 
blown against each other, and per- 
mit the animal to pass from one 
tree to another without descending 
to the ground. 
The food of the Sloth consists 
of leaves, buds, and young shoots. It appears to stand in no need of water, being satisfied 
with the moisture which clings to the herbage on which it feeds. In gathering the leaves 
and drawing the branches within reach, the Sloth makes great use of its fore-paws, which, 
however helpless upon the ground, can be managed with great dexterity. It is very tenacious 
of life, and is protected from any injury which it might receive from falls, by the peculiar 
structure of its skull. In length it is about two feet. 
TWO TOED SLOTH.— Cfiolcepus didactylus. 
The Ai, or Thbee-toed Sloth, is an inhabitant of South America, and is more common 
than the preceding animal, from which it can easily be distinguished by the third toe on 
its feet. The color of this animal is rather variable, but is generally of a brownish-gray. 
