The Sloth. 107 
§ VI. — Edentata, or Toothless Animals. 
THE SLOTH. (Bradypus tridadylus.) 
This animal, which is sometimes also called the Ai, in 
reference to a noise it makes when caught, and fre- 
quently when 'moving through the forest, is most cu- 
riously formed. The arms or fore legs are nearly twice 
as long as the hind legs : the claws also are larger than 
the foot, and bent inwardly, so as to prevent the animal 
from placing the ball of its foot on the ground. From 
these peculiarities in its construction the progress of the 
Sloth on land is extremely slow and laborious, for being 
incapable of supporting himself on his feet, he is com- 
pelled to take advantage of every little inequality in the 
ground to drag himself along ; but he is not intended to 
be a terrestrial animal. He lives in trees, always hang- 
ing below the branch, with its back to the ground; and 
for a life of this kind, its long arms and hooked claws 
are admirably adapted. Mr. Water ton, whose long 
residence in the wilds of South America, and whose 
habits of close observation, render him an excellent 
authority, observes, that when the Sloth travels from 
branch to branch of the tree which it inhabits, particu- 
