Chapter 5

THE RUFOUS LEMUR. LEMUR RUFUS.

Has a yellowish-white frontal band and whiskers.

THE BLACK-FACED LEMUR. LEMUR NIGRIFRONS.

Has a brownish-black band over the forehead, including the eyes; muzzle, patch on top of head including the ears, the side of the head below the ears, sub-auricular tufts, throat and under surface, grey.

THE WHITE-FACED LEMUR. LEMUR ALBIFRONS.

Forehead, top of head, ears, throat, and chest white.

Pure albino varieties are also quite common.

Distribution.—The Mongoose Lemur with its numerous varieties is found throughout the island of Madagascar, in Mayotte, and in Anjuan or Johanna Island, one of the Comoro group.

Habits.—Gregarious and diurnal, feeding on fruits, insects, and small animals.

IV. SCLATER'S LEMUR. LEMUR NIGERRIMUS.

Lemur nigerrimus, Scl., P. Z. S., 1880, p. 451, figs. 1 and 2; Milne-Edw. et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., pls. 154, 155 (1890).Lemur macaco(nec L.), Scl., P. Z. S., 1878, p. 1016.Prosimia rufipes, Gray, Ann. N. H., 1871, p. 339 (female).

Lemur nigerrimus, Scl., P. Z. S., 1880, p. 451, figs. 1 and 2; Milne-Edw. et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., pls. 154, 155 (1890).

Lemur macaco(nec L.), Scl., P. Z. S., 1878, p. 1016.

Prosimia rufipes, Gray, Ann. N. H., 1871, p. 339 (female).

Characters.—Face covered with short hair; ears nude and without tufts; nose-pad and lower lips nude. Similar toL. macaco, but larger and more intensely black, with a raised crest of upstanding hair on the head, formed by the longer fur of the body terminating arcuately on the forehead. External ears pinkish flesh-colour. Eyes blue, turning to green. Length, 16 inches; tail, 20 inches.

Female.—(Prosimia rufipesof Gray) Brown; eyes brownish-yellow.

Distribution.—Cap d'Ambra, N. Madagascar.

Nothing is known of the habits of this species.

V. THE WHITE-HANDED LEMUR. LEMUR ALBIMANUS.

Le Maki aux pieds blancs, Audebert, H. N. Singes, p. 10, pl. 1 (1797: male).Lemur albimanus, Is. Geoffr., Ann. Mus., xix., pp. 161-169 (1812); Milne-Edw. et Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, pls. 156, 157, 162-164, 165, figs, 1 and 2 (1890).Lemur mongoz(nec L.), Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 312 (1876, pt.).

Le Maki aux pieds blancs, Audebert, H. N. Singes, p. 10, pl. 1 (1797: male).

Lemur albimanus, Is. Geoffr., Ann. Mus., xix., pp. 161-169 (1812); Milne-Edw. et Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, pls. 156, 157, 162-164, 165, figs, 1 and 2 (1890).

Lemur mongoz(nec L.), Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 312 (1876, pt.).

Characters.—Nose sharp and Dog-like; eyes oblique; ears, except the central portion, haired.

Male.—Face, anterior to a line over the forehead, cheeks, snout (except a greyish wash on its sides and the upper lip) umber-brown; rest of head, neck, down to the middle of the back, and fore-limbs, grey; margins of ears, chin, and under surface of body white; rest of back and hind-limbs umber-brown; tail darker, except for a short distance at the base; upper surface of hands and feet grey. The nose varies in different species in the amount of grey colouring, and the forehead and face in depth of brown. Some specimens also have an arcuate black band over the forehead from one outer corner of the eye to the other.

Female.—Greyish-black; nose grey; rest of face washed with brick-red, deeper on the forehead, cheeks, ears, and sides of neck, fainter in tint on the upper back; lower back and tail darker, except at the base, where it is washed with reddish-yellow. Hands and feet greyish-white. The colour of the face varies much in different specimens, being deeper or lighter rufous.The arcuate band from the corners of the eyes over the forehead varies in breadth and depth of colour.

Distribution.—Madagascar; the precise locality unknown.

VI. THE CROWNED LEMUR. LEMUR CORONATUS.

Lemur coronatus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N. Hist., x., p. 257 (1842); Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 313 (1876); Milne-Edwards et Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, pls. 158-161, 165, 166.Lemur chrysampyx, Scheurm. Mém. Cour. Acad. Brux., xxii., p. 6 (1848 = female).Prosimia coronata, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 138.

Lemur coronatus, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N. Hist., x., p. 257 (1842); Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 313 (1876); Milne-Edwards et Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, pls. 158-161, 165, 166.

Lemur chrysampyx, Scheurm. Mém. Cour. Acad. Brux., xxii., p. 6 (1848 = female).

Prosimia coronata, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 138.

Characters.—Tips of ears naked; tail a little more than the length of the body.

Male.—Face, nose, and region round the eyes greyish-white; cheeks and forehead rufous or yellowish-red; a conical spot in the centre of the head between the eyes, dark brown or black, intruding sometimes on the rufous of the forehead; ears white; inner side of limbs and under side of body greyish-white; tail rufous at base, the upper side blackish, and the under side lighter; rest of body sienna-grey.

Female.—Upper side entirely grey, washed with yellowish cream-colour on the middle and lower part of the back, and on the upper side of the tail; long black hairs present in the tail; the under side entirely silvery-grey; fur at base black, the tips grey or silvery; instead of the black spot on the forehead there is a golden yellow-hooped, or widely V-shaped, bar above the eyes, narrower in the centre over the nose.

Albino specimens are sometimes found, which are entirely white, except for the golden bar over the eyes.

VII. THE RED-BELLIED LEMUR. LEMUR RUBRIVENTER.

Lemur rubriventer, Is. Geoffr., C. R., xxxi., p. 876 (1850); Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 311 (1876); Milne-Edw. & Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, ii., pls. 167-170 (1890).Lemur flaviventer, Is. Geoffr.,tom. cit., p. 876 (1850).

Lemur rubriventer, Is. Geoffr., C. R., xxxi., p. 876 (1850); Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 311 (1876); Milne-Edw. & Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, ii., pls. 167-170 (1890).

Lemur flaviventer, Is. Geoffr.,tom. cit., p. 876 (1850).

Characters.—Inner margins and outside of ears haired, the interior nude.

Male.—Face, a line down the forehead, and snout dark maroon-brown; a ring round the eyes cobalt-blue; rest of head and cheeks reddish-brown; upper side of body speckled reddish-brown, darker on the lower back; tail almost black, with long white hairs distributed throughout its length; feet rufous; under side of body pale.

Female.—Like the male, but having the cheeks whitish; a narrow ring round the eyes pale blue; upper surface umber-brown, washed with reddish-yellow; under side and inner sides of limbs yellowish; ruff reddish-chestnut.

Young.—Head entirely rufous; nose black.

Distribution.—Madagascar.

VIII. THE RING-TAILED LEMUR. LEMUR CATTA.

Lemur catta, Linn., S. N., i., p. 45, no. 4 (1766); Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 314 (1876); Milne-Edw. et Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, pls. 171-172 (1890).

Characters.—Inside of ears naked; no ruff round the face; top of head greyish-black; face, rest of head, lower surface of body, and inner side of the limbs pearl-grey; upper surface sienna-grey. Tail pearl-grey, banded with from ten to twelve black rings, distinguishing it from all other Lemurs, which have the tail of one colour. Length of body and tail together, 40 inches.

On the fore-arm above the wrist-joint there is, in both sexes, a comb-like bony outgrowth (becoming in old males a prominent spur) continuous with the palm of the hand by means of a narrow strip of black, hairless skin; near it there is a cluster of long stiff hairs over an underlying sweat-gland, the function of which is still unknown.

Distribution.—This species inhabits chiefly the rocky and treeless regions of the south and south-western borders of the Betsileo province of Madagascar. It is, however, not entirely confined to these treeless districts, for it has been recorded as occurring in bands of some numbers in the neighbouring forest regions.

Habits.—The Ring-tailed Lemur—one of the handsomest species of the genus and the only one in which the tail is not uniformly coloured—is of gentle manners, active, and graceful. According to the notes of the Rev. G. A. Shaw, as recorded in a paper in the Zoological Society's "Proceedings," it lives among the rocks where a few stunted trees occur, and over this rocky ground it can easily travel, in places where it is impossible for the natives, although bare-footed, to follow it. The palms of its hands and feet are smooth and leather-like, enabling the animal to apply them firmly to the wet rocks. This Lemur feeds on bananas and wild figs. In the winter its chief sustenance consists of the prickly-pear, peeling off the spiny skin with its long upper canines. According to the same observer, this Lemur rarely drinks water; indeed, it is said that the species living in the west of Madagascar, including two kinds of White Lemur, subsist without water, while those on the east coast invariably drink water with their meals. When fighting, the Ring-tailed Lemur scratches vigorously and strikes out with its hands.

THE HATTOCKS. GENUS MIXOCEBUS.

Mixocebus, Peters, M. B. Akad. Berlin, 1874. p. 690.

This genus contains but one species, whose characters are therefore those of the genus also.

THE HATTOCK. MIXOCEBUS CANICEPS.

Mixocebus caniceps, Peters, M. B. Akad. Berlin, 1874, p. 690, pl. i., pl. ii. (Skull.)

Characters.—Snout sharp, with a naked nose-pad; eyes very large; ears very short, rounded, higher than broad, scarcely appearing beyond the fur, and sparsely covered with short hair; limbs long, the digits with unkeeled nails; tail as long as the body, or slightly longer; inter-maxillary bones more prominent than in the species of the next genus, and containing a small incisor tooth on each side; no inter-parietal bone; upper canine not vertically longer than the grinders; the upper pre-molar and molar series of teeth arranged to converge but slightly anteriorly, forming, as seen from the front, a somewhat convex line, differing in this from some species ofLepidolemur, in which these teeth are arranged in a nearly straight line.

Top of head grey, the base of the hairs Mouse-grey, with black or white tips; a triangular patch on the middle of the head, darker; band on the sides and middle of the nose dark brown, widening out on the forehead and over the eyes; a dark ring round the eyes, merging into the dark brown colour of the nose; front border of the ears, a patch behind the latter, the lips, chin, sides of cheek, and chest a creamy- or yellowish-white; throat grey; upper side of the body, outside of the limbs, and dorsal end of the tail, rufous-grey; back portion ofthe upper part of the thigh, the hinder part of the belly, and the greater part of the upper side of the tail yellowish-rufous; the upper side of hands dark brown, of the feet yellowish-grey; extremity of tail blackish-brown. Length of body, 12½ inches; tail, 13½ inches.

Distribution.—Confined to Madagascar.

Habits.—The habits of the Hattock, as the natives name this animal, are quite unknown.

THE GENTLE-LEMURS. GENUS HAPALEMUR.

Hapalemur, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 74 (1851).

This genus has been constituted for two species of a specialised type of Lemur, characterised by a globose head, a short muzzle, with a tapering nose and short hairy ears. The hind-limbs are longer than the fore-limbs, the feet short and broad, and the tail hairy and equal in length to the body. The female has four teats, two on the breast, or on the shoulder, and two on the abdomen.

In regard to their skeletal characters, the facial portion of the skull is short and narrow in front—the nasal bones being arched—and the brain-case rounded. The cranium presents no elevated frontal crests, as among the members of the next genus (Lepidolemur). The pre-maxillary bones are very small. The hind margin of the bony palate, which dilates posteriorly, does not extend behind the mid-line of the last molar. The squamosal region of the skull and the outer and posterior—the mastoidal—portion of the ear-capsules (periotic bones), is not inflated in the members of this genus. Their lower jaw is very characteristic, being massive in front and possessing a very long symphysis (or line of junction of its two halves), its angle beingalso very large, and produced downward, inward, and backward, even more than in the genusIndris. Thenavicularebone of the ankle (tarsus) is relatively short, thus differing from the same region inMicrocebusand inGalago; thecarpus(or wrist) has no central (os centrale) bone.

InHapalemurthe teeth are of the normal Lemurine number, viz., 36; but the dentition as a whole is peculiar and characteristic. Each series of teeth is very uniform and equal, and those anterior to the molars are serrated. In the upper jaw the incisors are very small, sub-equal, and situated close together; the posterior tooth on each side being (when the skull is viewed from the side) internal to and touching the canines. The canines are small, and the gap between them and the anterior pre-molar is very small. The anterior pre-molar is slightly taller vertically than its median fellow, and stands close up to it without an interval; it has one main (and sometimes one rudimentary) outer cusp; the posterior pre-molar, which closely resembles a molar, and is often the largest tooth in the jaw, having one inner cusp united by ridges to its two outer cusps. The molar teeth are sub-equal to the hindmost pre-molar, and have one front inner and two outer cusps, without an oblique ridge between them, and also a well-developed cingulum, cusped externally. Of the lower teeth, the anterior and median pre-molars are set obliquely, the median having three outer and two inner cusps (the two inner being united to the two hind outer by ridges). The posterior pre-molar is quite molariform, and, with the molars, presents three outer and two (or three) inner cusps, of which the two inner are united by ridges to the outer hind cusps, while transverse ridges unite the main outer and inner cusps together. The molars are cingulate towards the outside.

PLATE VIII.

Plate VIII.THE GREY GENTLE-LEMUR.

THE GREY GENTLE-LEMUR.

The brain is narrower and shallower than that of the genusLemur, and presents no specially close resemblance to the same organ in theIndrisinæor theLorisinæ.

I. THE GREY GENTLE-LEMUR. HAPALEMUR GRISEUS.

Lemur griseus, Geoffr., Mém. sur les Makis. Mag. Enc., i., p. 48 (1796).Hapalemur griseus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 74 (1851); Mivart, P. Z. S., 1864, p. 613 (Skull); Schleg., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 361 (1876).Hapalemur olivaceus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 75 (1851); Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 316 (1876).Cheirogaleus griseus, Giebel., Säugeth., p. 1018 (1856); V. der Hoeven, Tijds. Natuurl. Gesch., p. 38, pl. i., fig. 1 (1844).Hapalolemur griseus, Scl., P. Z. S., 1863, p. 161; Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 828, pl. lii.(Plate VIII.)

Lemur griseus, Geoffr., Mém. sur les Makis. Mag. Enc., i., p. 48 (1796).

Hapalemur griseus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 74 (1851); Mivart, P. Z. S., 1864, p. 613 (Skull); Schleg., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 361 (1876).

Hapalemur olivaceus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 75 (1851); Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 316 (1876).

Cheirogaleus griseus, Giebel., Säugeth., p. 1018 (1856); V. der Hoeven, Tijds. Natuurl. Gesch., p. 38, pl. i., fig. 1 (1844).

Hapalolemur griseus, Scl., P. Z. S., 1863, p. 161; Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 828, pl. lii.

(Plate VIII.)

Characters.—Fur long and soft, not woolly; ears short, hairy, with long black vibrissæ between them; tail bushy, and as long as the body; general shade above greyish Mouse-colour, washed with rufous and speckled with black on the crown, back and external surface of limbs; shoulders and fore-limbs bluish-grey; cheeks, throat, breast, and inner side of limbs ochraceous white; under side of body whitish-yellow; tail and hands grey, washed with black. Body and tail equal, 15 inches in length.

Facial portion of skull short; brain-case rounded; lower jaw shorter and higher than in Lemurs generally; great toe large and broad; on the inner side of both arms close to the wrist occurs a rough patch (extending down to the bare skin of the palm) corresponding to a gland beneath,in the male, spine-like, while in the female hairy processes are present, together with a tuft of long hairs; external to this patch is a callous pad; mammæ opening on the shoulder; intestine large; cæcum small.

Young.—Reddish-yellow below.

Distribution.—The Grey Gentle-Lemur inhabits the eastern side of the Betsileo province of Madagascar.

Habits.—The "Bokombouli," as the natives name this animal, is the smallest of any of the True Lemurs. It is nocturnal, and lives, according to the Rev. G. A. Shaw, among the bamboos in the higher-level forests of the island. Its lower incisors are used as scrapers, and nearly all its teeth are serrated and very effective in cutting off the bamboo shoots, on which it feeds. To enable it to grasp smooth surfaces, such as the stems of the bamboo and other trees it frequents, it possesses a broad pad under each great toe.

II. THE BROAD-NOSED GENTLE-LEMUR. HAPALEMUR SIMUS.

Hapalemur (Prolemur) simus, J. E. Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus. App., p. 133 (1870); id. P. Z. S., 1870, p. 828, pl. lii., pp. 829, 830, figs. 1-4 (Skull).Prolemur simus, J. E. Gray, P. Z. S., 1872, p. 851.Hapalemur simus, Beddard, P. Z. S., 1884, p. 392; Jentink, Notes Leyd. Mus., vii., p. 33 (1885).

Hapalemur (Prolemur) simus, J. E. Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus. App., p. 133 (1870); id. P. Z. S., 1870, p. 828, pl. lii., pp. 829, 830, figs. 1-4 (Skull).

Prolemur simus, J. E. Gray, P. Z. S., 1872, p. 851.

Hapalemur simus, Beddard, P. Z. S., 1884, p. 392; Jentink, Notes Leyd. Mus., vii., p. 33 (1885).

Characters.—Nose broad and truncated; ears short, covered with long hair on the outside and along the margin inside.

Very similar toH. griseus; head and upper back dark reddish-grey, faintly washed with rufous; sides of head, neck, and region round the eyes lighter; sides of nose and region between the eyes black; ears dirty grey; lower back, sides ofbody, and outer surface of limbs sooty-grey, with here and there a wash of rufous; the patch on the end of the rump and upper part of the base of the tail uniform pale yellowish rust-colour; remainder of tail sooty-grey; from the chin to the chest yellowish-grey; under side of body and inner side of arms pale sooty-grey.

No spines on the fore-arm above the wrist as inH. griseus. In the skull, the nose is broad, square, and truncated; the pre-maxillæ very small; the lower jaw weak and narrow in front.

Distribution.—Only known from Madagascar.

Habits.—The habits of the Broad-nosed Lemur are said to differ in no respect from those of the foregoing species.

THE SPORTIVE-LEMURS. GENUS LEPIDOLEMUR.

Lepilemur, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 75 (1851).Lepidolemur, Peters, M. B. Akad. Berlin, 1874, p. 690 (1874).

Lepilemur, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 75 (1851).

Lepidolemur, Peters, M. B. Akad. Berlin, 1874, p. 690 (1874).

This genus contains, according to Dr. Forsyth Major, as many as seven species. This excellent comparative anatomist has made a very careful revision of the group, and the present writer has gratefully to acknowledge from him many valuable notes incorporated under this section, as well as his kindness in supplying for publication the diagnoses of his new species.

Dr. Major divides these seven species into two series:—(A) a group of four larger species, and (B) a group of three smaller species.

The members of this genus are smaller than the True Lemurs of the genusLemur. Their head is conical and short, their ears large, round, and membranaceous, and the tail is shorter than the body. In this latter character and in their shorter limbs they differ fromMixocebus. The fourth finger and toe are the longest digits of their respective extremities, the nails of all are keeled, and that of the great toe is very large and flat.

In the skull, the muzzle is longer than the longitudinal diameter of its orbit in the series of larger species (Section A); in the smaller species (Section B) the muzzle is shorter.

Their dentition presents several important characters. The series of upper molars and pre-molars form almost a straight line, both sides being almost parallel, or only slightly convergent towards the front. In the upper jaw the incisors are wanting; the canines are very large and grooved internally, and have a posterior heel. There is no gap between them and the anterior pre-molar, which last is vertically taller than the rest, and has one cusp to the outside, whereas the median and posterior have an inner cusp as well. The anterior and median molars have the inner hind cusp rudimentary, but the cingulum rises into a minute cusp, both at the fore and hind edge; the posterior molar is three-cusped. The whole of the cheek-teeth gradually broaden and decrease in vertical height from before backward as far as the median molar. In the lower jaw the anterior pre-molars are large, canine-like, and decumbent, and have a strong process on their anterior margin (resembling that in the corresponding tooth inIndris); the median and posterior pre-molars have one external cusp, and the latter tooth one interior cusp in addition. The anterior and median molars have a rudimentary fifth cusp, which is large in the posterior molar.

The pre-maxillæ are very much reduced, so that the teeth they usually carry are generally wanting. The bony palate is short, its hind margin extending back only to the middle of the median molar; its anterior foramina are small; and it differs from that ofMicrocebusandChirogalein having its posterior perforations small. The angle of the lower jaw is produced downwards and backwards. The mastoid portion of the ear-capsules (periotic bones) as well as the squamosal are markedlyenlarged and swollen, in this respect differing from the skulls ofLemurandHapalemur. The ridges in the temporal bone unite into a frontal (sagittal) ridge, and the space between the orbits is depressed; a depression is also present on the cheek in front of the lachrymal foramen. The foot is slightly elongated by the lengthening of thenavicularebone of the ankle (tarsus), the thin bones of which are short. In the wrist (carpus) there is noos centraleor central bone, which is otherwise invariably present in the Primates, except in Man, the Chimpanzees, the Gentle-Lemurs, and the Endrina.

The Sportive-Lemurs are confined to Madagascar and are nocturnal and arboreal creatures, feeding on leaves and fruits.

In Group A (the larger species) are included: 1, The Weasel-like Lemur (L. mustelinus); 2, the Red-tailed Sportive-Lemur (L. ruficaudatus); 3, Edwards' Sportive-Lemur (L. edwardsi); and 4, the Small-toothed Sportive-Lemur (L. microdon). Group B (consisting of the smaller species) comprises: 1, The Round-headed Sportive-Lemur (L. globiceps); 2, Grandidier's Sportive-Lemur (L. grandidieri); and 3, the White-footed Sportive-Lemur (L. leucopus). With the exception of the two first-named species, all the others are here made known for the first time by Dr. Forsyth Major. Very little is recorded of the habits of these animals. They are so rare that at present the various species are known from a few skins or alcoholic specimens in European museums. They are said to be inhabitants only of the forest-country, nocturnal in their habits, sleeping coiled up in some retreat all day, but issuing forth at night, at which time they are very agile in their movements.

SECTION A. (SPECIES MAJORES.)

I. THE WEASEL-LIKE SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR MUSTELINUS.

Lepilemur mustelinus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 76 (1851); Schl. et Pollen, Faun. Madag., Mammif., p. 10, pls. 4, 6, fig. 3; Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 317 (1876).Lepilemur dorsalis, Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus. App., p. 135 (1870).

Lepilemur mustelinus, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Méth. Primates, p. 76 (1851); Schl. et Pollen, Faun. Madag., Mammif., p. 10, pls. 4, 6, fig. 3; Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 317 (1876).

Lepilemur dorsalis, Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus. App., p. 135 (1870).

Characters.—Fur soft and woolly; ears rounded, naked excepting at the base behind; muzzle elongated. Above, reddish-grey. Face and cheeks grey; throat white; under side of body and inner side of limbs, pale grey; tail short-haired, the posterior third dark brown. Length of body, 14 inches; and tail 10 inches.

Skull large and massive; the brain-case small and inflated; facial region long, differing in this character fromL. ruficaudatus; orbits very large, thus differing from the three remaining species of the larger group (A); the process of the maxilla intervening between the nasal and lachrymal bones; molar teeth large.

Distribution.—This species occurs in the north-east of Madagascar, and, according to Grandidier, in the north-western corner of the island.

Habits.—The "Fitili-ki," as the natives have named this animal, is found in the forests in small companies. It is nocturnal in its habits, feeding on leaves and fruits.

II. THE RED-TAILED SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR RUFICAUDATUS.

Lepilemur ruficaudatus, Grandidier, Rev. et. Mag. de Zool., 1867, p. 256.Lepilemur pallidicauda, Gray, P. Z. S., 1872, p. 850.Lepilemur mustelinus(nec. Is. Geoffr.), Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 317 (in part).

Lepilemur ruficaudatus, Grandidier, Rev. et. Mag. de Zool., 1867, p. 256.

Lepilemur pallidicauda, Gray, P. Z. S., 1872, p. 850.

Lepilemur mustelinus(nec. Is. Geoffr.), Schl., Mus. P. B., vii., p. 317 (in part).

Characters.—Smaller than the last species; head much broader than it is long; snout short and conical; ears ovate, exposed, short-haired; tail long, thicker at the end, and covered with softer and longer hairs. Fur pale or reddish-grey; head dark brown; the shoulders and outer side of the arms grey, washed with brown; chin, breast, and inner side of limbs and under side of body whitish; upper side of the base of the tail rather dark brown, this colour extending further down in the tail of the female; rest of the tail uniform pale brownish or greyish-red.

Skull very broad compared with its length, more massive, and showing a shorter muzzle than inL. mustelinus; orbits smaller than in any of the other species in Group A.

Distribution.—South-western Madagascar.

III. MILNE-EDWARDS' SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR EDWARDSI.

Lepidolemur edwardsi, Forsyth Major.[5]

Characters.—"Similar toL. ruficaudatus; upper part of head grey; ears membranaceous, but encircled on the inner and posterior side by an incomplete belt of dark brown colour, which distinguishes the species fromL. ruficaudatus; shoulders and outer side of the fore-limbs reddish-brown. Back greyish-brown, lighter on the outer side of the hind-limbs; an uninterrupted dark dorsal streak from the middle of the back to the centre ofthe forehead is very conspicuous between the shoulders. Breast, inner sides of the fore- and hind-limbs, and lower surface of the body greyish-white.

"The skull long and narrow; molars and pre-molars large, especially transversely; orbits small, yet larger than inL. ruficaudatus; the mastoidal portion of the ear-capsules and squamosal region of the skull conspicuously inflated. Bony palate more elongate than inL. mustelinus; par-occipital process present."

Distribution.—Betsako, north-west of Madagascar.

IV. THE SMALL-TOOTHED SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR MICRODON.

Lepidolemur microdon, Forsyth Major.

Characters.—"Somewhat similar to the Weasel-like Lemur (L. mustelinus) in coloration, but having the back and the outer portion of the shoulder and fore-limbs bright chestnut, passing into russet on the back (darker between the shoulders), on the outer parts of the hind-limbs and tail, as well as on the top of the head, where it is washed with greyish. A dark, dorsal stripe from the centre of the forehead to the middle of the back, where it is darkest. Breast and under surface of body yellowish-grey.

"Skull markedly distinguished from that of the other species by the small size of the molars; pre-molars not diminished in size; a depression at the base of the nasals; the bony palate more elongated than inL. mustelinus."

Distribution.—The eastern districts of the Betsileo province, Central Madagascar.

PLATE IX.

Plate IX.THE WHITE-FOOTED SPORTIVE-LEMUR.

THE WHITE-FOOTED SPORTIVE-LEMUR.

SECTION B. (SPECIES MINORES.)

V. THE ROUND-HEADED SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR GLOBICEPS.

Lepidolemur globiceps, Forsyth Major.

Characters.—"The smallest of the Sportive-Lemurs. Similar toLepidolemur ruficaudatus, but less rufous down the fore-limbs; the tail drab colour.

"Skull very characteristic; the brain-case broad, high, and globose, the facial region short; the premaxillæ more reduced than in any other species; the external auditory channel very large; the occipital region less vertical than in the species of Section A."

Distribution.—Ambulisatra, south-west Madagascar.

VI. GRANDIDIER'S SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR GRANDIDIERI.

Lepilemur mustelinus, Gray (nec Geoffr.), P. Z. S., 1863, p. 144.Lepidolemur grandidieri, Forsyth Major.

Lepilemur mustelinus, Gray (nec Geoffr.), P. Z. S., 1863, p. 144.

Lepidolemur grandidieri, Forsyth Major.

Characters.—"General colour cinnamon; head greyish; an indistinct median dorsal streak from the forehead along the back; inner side of the limbs and under side of the body yellowish-grey.

"Skull remarkable for the large size of its orbits, and for the anterior convergence of its upper dental cheek-series being greater than in the other members of the group."

Distribution.—North-west Madagascar.

VII. WHITE-FOOTED SPORTIVE-LEMUR. LEPIDOLEMUR LEUCOPUS.

Lepidolemur leucopus, Forsyth Major, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii., p. 211 (1894).(Plate IX.)

Lepidolemur leucopus, Forsyth Major, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., xiii., p. 211 (1894).

(Plate IX.)

Characters.—Ears large, long, membranaceous; tail shorter than the body. Upper side Chinchilla-grey, with an indistinct median brownish stripe from the neck to the root of the tail. Top of head brownish-grey, with a darker median stripe; cheeks and chin whitish. Ears encircled by a broad ring of whitish hair. Neck, shoulders, and upper parts of the fore-arm pale rufous. Breast and belly greyish-white; inner surfaces of the hind-limbs and the heels pure white.[6]Tail greyish, with a rusty tinge. Length, 12 inches; tail, 10½ inches.

The skull is longer and broader than that ofL. grandidieri; the mastoidal portion of the ear-capsules and the adjacent squamosal region very largely inflated; bony palate elongated; dental cheek-series short; molar teeth small and slender, distinguishing this species fromL. grandidieri, their small size also separating it fromL. globiceps.

Distribution.—This species is at present known only from Fort Dauphin in the south-east of Madagascar. [Type in British Museum.]

THE ENDRINAS. SUB-FAMILY INDRISINÆ.

This, the last sub-family of theLemuridæ, is considered to contain the highest members of the whole Sub-order. They are distinguished by having their fur abundant, longer and woolly above, shorter beneath, with the hands and feet haired to the tips of the digits. Their head, set at right angles to the spinal column, is rounded, the face elongated and naked, with a deep furrow separating the nostrils. The eyes are large, and have a third eyelid, or nictitating membrane, to draw across the pupil during the day. The ears, which are naked inside and fringedon the outside, are moderately long and buried in the fur, but are less movable at will than is the case with the Galagos. Their fore-limbs are much shorter than the hind ones. The arms, which are united to the body by a parachute-like fold of integument, have long, narrow, and strong hands, of which the thumb is short, set far back, and but little opposable. The rest of the fingers, except the index, which is short, are long and slender, and terminate in a round disc. The feet are elongate, and the great toe, which is freely opposable to the other toes, is very large and broad, being, indeed, nearly as wide as the rest of the digits together; the remaining toes are united by a membrane as far as the second segment. The females have the mammæ situated on the breast.

In the skull the facial region is relatively small, and the cranial region relatively large. The external nostrils communicate with a cavity on the underlying bone; the pre-maxillary bones are deeply excavated in front, and the anterior perforations in the bony palate, behind the incisor teeth, are large. The lower jaw has its angle large, produced backwards, the line of union of its two halves being long, and its lateral movements very limited. In regard to their dentition, the number of the milk-teeth in the young individual is greater than that of the permanent set in the adult, the formula of the former being I22, C11, P23[M33], while that of the latter is I22, C10, P22, M33, the lower canine and one lower pre-molar having disappeared. In the upper jaw the incisors are very small, the outer one standing behind the inner one, with a space between the former and the canine; the canines are long, curved behind, and set close up to the anterior pre-molar. The pre-molars are longer than they are broad, laterally compressed, and present to the outside one main triangular cusp with a small accessory cusp on eachside, the posterior tooth of the series having a hind inner cusp. The anterior and median molars are four-cusped, of which the outer and inner pairs are separated by a longitudinal groove; to the outside they have one supernumerary cusp on each main cusp, and one between them. The median molar is the largest tooth of the jaw, and the posterior is small, triangular and three-cusped. Of the lower jaw, the outer pair of the long, and almost horizontally protruding incisors, is larger than the inner pair, and is separated by a space from the anterior pre-molar. Of the elongate laterally compressed pre-molars, the anterior is the larger, and is vertically taller than its fellows, being slightly depressed forward and curved behind; the posterior pre-molar has one cusp. The molars have four cusps, of which the inner ones alternate with the outer cusps.

The intestinal canal in theIndrisinæis very long, the cæcum, or blind diverticulum at the junction of its two portions, being extremely long and large, occupying, indeed, a great part of the abdominal cavity. The main arteries of the fore- and hind-limbs do not break up into arete mirabile, or series of small parallel vessels, as in many other Lemuroids.

In this group, while the sense of smell is very perfect, that of hearing is less acute than in the other Sub-families; and that of touch conspicuously blunt, both in the fingers and toes, which are chiefly climbing and not tactile and prehensile organs, as they are in the corresponding limbs of the Anthropoids. The female never produces more than one young at a birth.

The convolutions of the brain are few, but they are more complicated than in many of the South American Monkeys. In very young individuals the cerebellum is more covered by the cerebrum than it is in the adult.

The species of this Sub-family are confined to the island of Madagascar. Our knowledge of their general characters, anatomical structure and habits, is very complete, through the researches, both in the field, of M. Grandidier, and in the study, of Prof. Alphonse Milne-Edwards. These results are published in their magnificent "Histoire de Madagascar," to which the reader is referred for fuller information.

TheIndrisinæ, on account of their superior organisation, and especially their relatively large brain, are considered to be the highest of all the Lemuroids. They are essentially arboreal. If they come to the ground they sit upright on their hind-legs, and progress by jumps, holding their arms above their heads. They are easily tamed, and become gentle in confinement; but they are not very intelligent. The Endrinas "never manifest in any very marked manner," so MM. Milne-Edwards and Grandidier tell us, "the passions that affect the Apes so vividly; their countenance, almost as immobile as that of an herbivorous or carnivorous animal, exhibits neither anger nor pleasure. In captivity they do not seek to be caressed; they appear neither to become attached to their master, nor to take interest in anything about them." Many of their actions, however, and the peculiar sounds they often utter, recall those of Monkeys.

Some of the species are diurnal and others nocturnal.

The Sub-family has been divided into three genera,Avahiswith one species;Propithecus, with three species, andIndriswith a single species. All its members are remarkable for the extraordinary amount of variation in the coloration of their fur.

THE AVAHI LEMURS. GENUS AVAHIS.

Avahi, Jourdan, C. R., Journal l'Inst., ii., no. 62, p. 231 (1834).Avahis, Milne-Edwards and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., i., p. 320 (with full synonymy).

Avahi, Jourdan, C. R., Journal l'Inst., ii., no. 62, p. 231 (1834).

Avahis, Milne-Edwards and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., i., p. 320 (with full synonymy).

This genus is monotypic, containing but a single species, whose characters include necessarily those of the genus.

I. THE WOOLLY AVAHI. AVAHIS LANIGER.

Lemur laniger, Gm., Syst. Nat., i., p. 44, no. 10 (1788).Microrhynchus laniger, Jourdan, Thèse inaug. Soc. Phys., Grenoble, 1834; Mivart, P. Z. S., 1866, p. 151, pi. xv.Avahis laniger, Milne-Edwards and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., p. 325 (with full synonymy), Atlas, pls. 9, 10.(Plate X.)

Lemur laniger, Gm., Syst. Nat., i., p. 44, no. 10 (1788).

Microrhynchus laniger, Jourdan, Thèse inaug. Soc. Phys., Grenoble, 1834; Mivart, P. Z. S., 1866, p. 151, pi. xv.

Avahis laniger, Milne-Edwards and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., p. 325 (with full synonymy), Atlas, pls. 9, 10.

(Plate X.)

Characters.—Fur woolly; the head nearly round; the face short in proportion to the head; muzzle short, covered with hair; the nose and region of the chin hairy; nose-pad on lip large; nostrils opening into a cavity on the upper lip below the skin. Eyes large, the pupil vertical; ears small, concealed in fur. Tail a little longer than the body; body short, stumpy. Third, fourth and fifth fingers flattened; third and fourth toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint.

PLATE X.

Plate X.THE WOOLLY AVAHI.

THE WOOLLY AVAHI.

Cranium more vaulted and the muzzle remarkably shorter than in the generaIndrisandPropithecus; eye-sockets very large; the space between the eyes hollow. Temporal ridges not uniting into a single median ridge. Nasal bones projecting as far as the front end of the very small pre-maxillary bone. Lower jaw remarkably deep and broad behind; line of union of its two halves nearly half the length of the jaw, and in a straight line with the incisor teeth. Toothless space in front of upper jaw greater than in the other two genera. Dentition of the upper jaw:incisorssmall, the outer larger than the inner, set close to the canines and not at the inner edge of the toothless space;caninesvertically short;pre-molars, with no inner cusp, but having a prominent outer cingulum (a character seen in no other species of Lemur);molars, four-cusped. Lower jaw:incisorslarger than in the two other genera, and less horizontal, the inner ones more slender than the outer. Anterior and posteriormolars, five-cusped. Hind margin of palate reaching to the middle of the median molar. Central bone of wrist wanting (of all Primates agreeing in this character only with Man, the Chimpanzees, the Gentle- and Sportive-Lemurs and the Endrina); fourth digit of the hands and feet longest. Tail long. The small intestine not spirally coiled upon itself, but folded many times transversely.

Hair long, woolly, dark Mouse-grey at base, reddish-brown in the middle, black at the tips. Face broad, entirely covered with short greyish-brown hairs; nose-pad alone nude. Ears concealed and covered by rufous hair; pupil of eye very contractile, very narrow and linear during the day; across the forehead and over the eyes a transverse lunulate whitish band, margined anteriorly by a black band. Back greyish-brown, the nape darker; a patch over the rump, and the base of the tail and buttocks white, washed with rufous; back and inner side of thighs and round the arms whitish; a narrow fringe on the lower margin of arms and legs ashy-grey, washed with rufous; fore-arm, hands and feet rusty-brown; tail bright dark red, deepest at its extremity. Under side and inner surface of limbs grey, washed with rufous. Length of body, 12½ inches; tail, 15¾ inches.

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