branches, lest they should break with him in passing from one tree to another; but as soon as the wind rises the branches of the neighbouring trees become interwoven, and then the sloth seizes hold of them, and pursues his journey in safety. There is seldom an entire day of calm in these forests. The trade wind generally sets in about ten o'clock in the morning, and thus the sloth may set off after breakfast, and get a considerable way before dinner. He travels at a good round pace; and were you to see him pass from tree to tree, as I have done, you would never think of calling him a sloth.

One day, as we were crossing the Essequibo, I saw a large two-toed sloth on the ground upon the bank; how he got there, nobody could tell: the Indian said he had never surprised a sloth in such a situation before: he would hardly have come there to drink, for both above and below the place the branches of the trees touched the water, and afforded him an easy and safe access to it. Be this as it may, though the trees were not above twenty yards from him, he could not make his way through the sand time enough to escape before we landed. As soon as we got up to him he threw himself upon his back, and defended himself in gallant style with his fore-legs. "Come, poor fellow,” said I to him, "if thou hast got into a hobble to-day, thou shalt not suffer for it: I'll take no advantage of thee in misfortune; the forest is large enough

both for thee and me to rove in: go thy ways up above, and enjoy thyself in these endless wilds; it is more than probable thou wilt never have another interview with man. So fare thee well." On saying this, I took a long stick which was lying there, held it for him to hook on, and then conveyed him to a high and stately mora. He ascended with wonderful rapidity, and in about a minute he was almost at the top of the tree. He now went off in a side direction, and caught hold of the branch of a neighbouring tree; he then proceeded towards the heart of the forest.

The sloth. This animal is a native of South America; this will explain the frequent allusions in the lesson to American, principally tropical American, scenery. Consult Lesson XIX.," A Brazilian Forest," p. 93. Essequibo.-A river of British Guiana, flowing into the Atlantic.

EXERCISES.

1. Give an exact account of the make of the sloth. From this make, what may we infer regarding his mode of life? Describe his appearance and movements on the ground--on trees. Show how he moves about in the forest. How do you account for the saying of the Indians, that when the wind blows the sloth begins to move? How does the sloth rest? Show how this mode of resting suits its conformation.

2. Point out the connection between the vegetation of Central America and the existence of the sloth there.

3. Show from the case of the sloth how you may reason from the structure of an animal to its habits. Illustrate your answer by other examples-the camel, the giraffe, &c. Wherein has man the advantage over these and all other animals?

4. From this lesson, show how strictly accurate information may be obtained regarding the habits of animals.

LESSON XIX.

A Brazilian Forest.

a-e'-ri-al, belonging to the air, in-ter-laced', twisted together.

TROPICAL forests are very unlike the great woods of Europe, where species may be grouped and massed. There the essences of vegetable life, infinitely varied, are mingled in strange confusion. Plants, flowers, saplings are mingled in rich disorder, and life overflows in leaves and fruits, begotten of the dew which fills their chalices. The earth is a chaos of wild vegetation, enamelled with blossoms, intersected by ferns; while the trees, which spread their branches aloft, have been planted there in myriads by the hand of nature and the winds, as God has cast suns into the universe. All that one can venture to make out of this labyrinth of branches and leaves is a rough sketch of its interior plan and its wonderful structure.

is that of a thicket, amphitheatrically arranged. From the depths of gorges rise the primitive

trees, whose trunks are buried under a dense and gigantic vegetation, while their interlaced branches form domes or baskets.

But if we would penetrate the secrets of the wood, and witness the distribution of its riches, judge of its strength, and admire its fantastic architecture, we must enter, axe in hand, and carve a pathway for ourselves through the thick jungle. Then only can we comprehend its interior economy, its skilful and intended disorder, the value of its lofty trees. We then see the forest in its three elements-the grass, the weeds, the trees; and if we cannot penetrate the mysteries of creation, nor its invisible forces, we can at least study the rich and vast organisation in its external forms.

The grasses, the modest shrubs, the Brazilian bind-weed, and a thousand other creepers-some yielding white and some blue flowers-climb, crawl, twist, twine, and cluster in every direction; while the lower parasites cling to the trunks and larger branches of monstrous trees. They absorb all the juices-charming vampires that they are! —but do they give nothing in return?

There is not one of these noxious plants which does not possess a purgative or febrifugal property; and if medical botany should extend her studies to these humble creepers, it will find, either in the flower, the root, the stem, or the bark, more than one treasure,