534 
The Hiftory of ANIMALS. 
^UA D R U P E D S. 
Clafs the Third 1 
SYLVIA 
T H E Sylvias have the fore-teeth, both in the upper and under jaw, four in num¬ 
ber ; and the teats are fituated, not on the belly, but on the bread:. 
Linnaeus has diflinguilhed this clafs by the name of Anthropomorphic, beads having 
the form of the human fpecies. It is an aflertion of that author, that he could find 
no difiindion in characters between man and the monkey. I am apt to believe few 
would join with him in this opinion, but dill fewer, in the putting the ignavus or doth 
in the fame clafs; fince, whatever unlucky likenefs there might be between the 
monkey-kind and ourfelves in form, this uglied of the creation can have no claim to 
fuch a refemblance. The genera of this clafs are only the two, the Bradypus and 
Simia. 
BRADYPUS. 
T H E face of the Bradypus is covered with hair: the claws are of a fubulated 
form ; there are no ears, nor are there any middle teeth. 
Bradypus mahibus tridaSiylis , cauda brevi. 
The Bradypus, with three toes to the fore-feet, and a fhort taiL 
This is a very extraordinary animal, both in figure and qualities; it is hard to fay of 
what other it is equal to in fize, fince it is like none in fhape; the length of the 
body is about a foot, and it is corpulent, unlefs when it has differed by long hunger, 
as is indeed often the cafe. When well fed, it’s thicknefs is equal to it’s length : the 
neck is fhort and thick; the tail is extreamly fhort: the legs are robud, and about 
five inches long; the fore-pair are a little longer than the hinder. 
The feet are flatted or plain, in the manner of thofe of the bear or monkey, but 
they are extreamly narrow, and ill-calculated for walking : the claws are very long and 
fharp; they are hollowed on the under fide, and pointed at the extremity, and they 
are of a pale yellowifh colour, and of a horny drudure. 
The head is fmall and round ; the mouth is alfo fmall, and of a turbinated form: 
the face, in fome degree, refembles that of the monkey-kind, but it is covered with 
fhort hair, not naked, as in that creature : the nofe only is naked, fmooth, elate, and 
black : the teeth are fmall; the eyes are fmall and black, and have, at all times, a 
fleepy afped: there are no ears; the tail is obtufe. 
The colour of the whole animal is a pale greyifh-brown ; the fur is very thick and 
deep, and is compofed of extreamly foft hairs, which move about every way with 
the lead breath of wind; there runs a brown blackifh line down the middle of the 
back, but, excepting for this, the hair there is of a paler colour than elfewhere : the 
hairs of the neck are longer than thofe of any other part; they hang on each fide in 
manner of a mane. 
It is the flowed mover of all the quadrupeds; it is generally feen on trees, climbing 
in a very deliberate manner from one part of them to another ; on the ground it’s mo¬ 
tion is dill flower; the traverfing a fpace of fifty yards is the labour of a day for it: 
it is ufually feen on the top of tall trees, by way of fecurity : it feeds on their leaves and 
bark, 
