SOUTH AMERICA. 
The Ai was wounded in the leg, and put down on first 
the floor, about two feet from the table ; it con¬ 
trived to reach the leg of the table and fastened itself 
on it, as if wishful to ascend. But this was its last 
advancing step : life was ebbing fast, though im¬ 
perceptibly ; nor could this singular production of 
nature, which has been formed of a texture to resist 
death in a thousand shapes, make any stand against 
the wourali poison. 
First, one fore-leg let go its hold, and dropped 
down motionless by its side; the other gradually 
did the same. The fore-legs having now lost their 
strength, the sloth slowly doubled its body, and 
placed its head betwixt its hind-legs, which still ad¬ 
hered to the table ; but when the poison had affected 
these also, it sank to the ground, but sank so gently, 
that you could not distinguish the movement from 
an ordinary motion ; and had you been ignorant that 
it was wounded with a poisoned arrow, you would 
never have suspected that it was dying. Its mouth 
was shut, nor had any froth or saliva collected there. 
There was no subsultus tendinum, or any visible 
alteration in its breathing. During the tenth minute 
from the time it was wounded it stirred, and that was 
all; and the minute after, life’s last spark went out. 
From the time the poison began to operate, you 
would have conjectured that sleep was overpowering 
n jt, and you would have exclaimed, “ Pressitque 
eentem, dulcis et alta quies, placidaeque simillima 
ATxorti.” 
There are now two positive proofs of the effect of 
