thinks is the lefs to be wondered at, when perhaps the 
major part of mankind experience the fame fate. 
With fubmiflion, however, to this lively Naturalift, I 
{hould not hefitate to believe that the Sloth, notwith- 
ftanding this appearnce of wretchednefs and deformity, 
is as well fafhioned for its proper modes and habits of 
life, and feels as much happinefs in its folitary and ob- 
fcure retreats, as the reft of the animal world of greater 
locomotive powers and fuperior external elegance. 
. The Sloth feeds chiefly on fruit: it will even feed 
on the leaves of trees; and it is of all animals the molt 
languid in its motions. Its voice is fa id to be fo incon¬ 
ceivably Angular, and of fuch a mournful melancholy, 
attended at the fame time with fuch a mifery of afpedt, 
that it excites at once a mixture of pity and difguft; 
and that the animal makes ufe of this natural yell as 
its beft mode of defence; fince other creatures are 
frightened away by the uncommon found. This is, 
however, far from being its only refuge ; for fo great 
is the {hare of mufcular ftrength which it poflefles, that 
it is capable of feizing a dog with its claws, and hold¬ 
ing it, in fpite of all its efforts to efcape, ’till it perifhes. 
with hunger ; for the Sloth itfelf is fo well calculated 
for fupporting abftinence, that the celebrated Kircher 
aflures us of its power in this refpedt having been ex¬ 
emplified by the very Angular experiment of fuffering 
one which had fattened itfelf to a pole, to remain in 
that fituation, without any fuftenance, ’till it perilhed 
through fatigue and famine ; which did not happen ’till 
more than the fpace of a whole month. 
There is another fpecies of Sloth which has the fame 
general appearance with the fpecies here figured, but 
is furniftied with only two toes to the fore-feet. 
