Sloth, a genus of quadrupeds, belonging to the order of bruta. The characters are these: They have no fore-teeth in either jaw; the dog-teeth are blunt, solitary, and longer than the grinders; they have five grinders on each side. The body is covered with hair. There are only two species of bradypus, viz.

1. The tridactylus, or American sloth, has a short tail, and only three toes on each foot. It is about the size of a fox. The body is covered over with hair of a grey colour; the face is naked; the throat is yellowish; the fore-feet are longer than the hind-feet; the claws, which are three on each foot, are compressed, and very strong; and they have no mammae on the breast; they have no external ears, but only two winding holes. It is the most sluggish and most slow of all animals, and seems to move with the utmost pain. Its food is fruit, or the leaves of trees. If it cannot find fruit on the ground, it looks out for a tree well loaded, and with great pain climbs up; to save the trouble of descending, it flings off the fruit; and, forming itself into a ball, drops from the branches, continues at the foot till it has devoured all, nor ever flies till compelled by hunger. It never drinks, and is terrified at rain.

The following wonderful account of this animal, from Kircher's Musurgia, is quoted by Mr Stillingfleet in his miscellaneous tracts. "The description (says Kircher) I had from father Torus, who resided in America, who had animals of this kind in his possession, and made many experiments in relation to their nature and qualities. Its figure is extraordinary; it is about the bigness of a cat, of very ugly countenance, and has claws extended like fingers. The hinder part of the head and neck are covered with hair. It sweeps the ground with its fat belly, never rises upon its feet, and moves so slowly, that it would scarce go the length of a bow-shot in 15 days, though constantly moving, and it is therefore called the sloth. It lives generally upon tops of trees, and employs two days to crawl up, and as many to get down again. Nature has doubly guarded this animal against its enemies. First, by giving it such strength in its feet, that whatever it seizes, it holds so fast, that it never can be freed from its claws, but must there die of hunger. Secondly, in giving it such a moving aspect, when it looks at any man who should be tempted to hurt it, that it is impossible not to be touched with compassion; besides, that at the same time it sheds tears, and upon the whole persuades one, that a creature so defenceless, and of so unhappy a body, ought not to be tormented. To make an experiment of this, the above-mentioned father procured one of these animals to be brought to our college at Carthagena. He put a long pole under its feet, which it seized upon very firmly, and would not let go again. The animal therefore thus voluntarily suspended, was placed between two beams along with the pole, and there it remained without meat, drink, or sleep, 40 days; its eyes being always fixed on people that looked at it, who were so touched, that they could not forbear pitying it. At last being taken down, they let loose a dog on it, which after a little while the sloth seized with its feet, and held him four days, till he died of hunger. This was taken from the mouth of the father. They add (continues Kircher), that this creature makes no noise but at night, but that very extraordinary. For by interruptions, that last about the length of a sigh or semi-sigh, it goes through the six vulgar intervals of music, Ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la, La, sol, fa, mi, re, ut, ascending and descending, and these perfectly in tune. So that the Spaniards, when they first got possession of this coast, and heard these notes, imagined that some people brought up to our music were singing. This animal is called by the natives haut; certainly because, going through these musical intervals, it repeats, Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, &c." To this account Linnaeus seems, in his Systema Naturae, to give credit. For he says, in his short way of description, among other things, "It utters an ascending hexachord: its noise is horrible; its tears are piteous." He quotes Musgrave, Clusius, Gellner, &c.

2. The didactylus has two toes on each foot, and no tail: The head is round; the ears are large; and it has two mammae on the breast: The body is covered with ash-coloured hair. It is a native of Ceylon.