Chapter 27

CHAPTER XIV.THE LEMUROIDA.

THE GENERA INDRIS AND LEPILEMUR HAPALEMUR.

The Name of the Genus Lemur popularly given to the Group—Lemuroida the Correct Name—Their Distinctive Characters—Their Hands and Feet—Ankle-bones—Tail—Rete Mirabile—Nostrils—Colour of the Eye—Ears—Teeth—Brain—Resemblance to Monkeys—Their Locality—Lemur at Liberty—Its Playfulness—Division of the Lemurs—Beauties of Madagascar—GENUSINDRIS—Described by Grandidier—Their Locality—Colour—Fingers—Teeth—THEDIADEMINDRIS—Specimens at the British Museum—Little known about it—THEWOOLLYLEMUR—Described by Sonnerat—THESHORT-TAILEDINDRIS—Distinguished by its Tail—Its Skull—GENUSLEPILEMUR—Their Teeth—Tail—THEWEASELLEMUR—THEGREYLEMUR—Specimens obtained by Pollen—Their Cry

THEforests of Madagascar, of Western and Eastern Africa, and of some of the Asiatic Islands, are the homes of several kinds of animals which are not unlike the Monkeys in some respects, but which differ from them in their habits of life, and, to a certain extent, in their anatomy. Most of them are in the habit of hiding up all the day, and of moving with great vivacity at dusk and during the night-time. Their gliding, noiseless motion amidst the dense foliage of the tropical woods during the dark hours, and their restless activity in searching for their food during the short twilight, were considered to resemble the fitful apparitions of sprites, spectres, and hobgoblins, and hence Linnæus gave them the name of Lemurs, taking the term from the Latin (lemures), “ghosts.” The name has been adopted popularly, so as to include all the kinds which, with some structural resemblance to the Monkeys, are for the most part nocturnal in their habits, and it really appears to represent the notions which the excessively timid and superstitious natives of the Eastern Islands have of the malevolent influence of some of these active and very small creatures, whose large eyes glare and shine in the dark woods as they rush to and fro before the extreme darkness of the night commences. The use of the name has been productive of some confusion, for it was especially given to one genus or group of kinds which is restricted to the Island of Madagascar. The genus Lemur, with a species of which most visitors to the Zoological Gardens are familiar—the Ring-tailed Lemur—by no means contains all the animals now under consideration, and they have been arranged under other groups, or genera, and have different names; yet they are all popularly called Lemurs.

Hence, to avoid this confusion, it is usual to call the genus just mentioned genus Lemur, and all the others “Lemur-like animals,” and the Greek word εἶδος (like) being added the termLemuroidais formed. In scientific language, then, the creatures popularly called Lemurs are termedLemuroida. Either expression may be used, but if the familiar one is employed, it is necessary to remember that the word means other animals besides those of the genus Lemur.

ANUBIS BABOON. (Seepp. 149–150.)(From the Living Specimen in the Zoological Gardens, London.)❏LARGER IMAGE

ANUBIS BABOON. (Seepp. 149–150.)(From the Living Specimen in the Zoological Gardens, London.)

❏LARGER IMAGE

The Lemurs, using the popular term in its wide significance, can be distinguished from the Monkeys and all other animals at a glance. Very few travellers have the opportunity of observingthem when wild, and enjoying their liberty in their native woods, but every visitor to the Zoological Gardens in the Regent’s Park may have the chance of comparing some of them with other animals. This comparison may be made readily at certain times, but not always, for only a few Lemurs care to show themselves in broad daylight, and the rest come out of their little nests in the evening. They are known by hairy “hands” at the end of the arms and legs, large furry tails, slim furry bodies, long ears, great staring eyes, and a muzzle like that of a small Fox. At night-time, when the Baboons, Macaques, Guenons, and American Monkeys are at rest and asleep, the Lemurs are awake, and rushing and jumping here and there in their limited space; but during the day-time, when the Monkey world is most giddy, with one or two exceptions the others are quiet, and if poked out into daylight look dazed and stupid, and are only too glad to get into darkness again. The exceptions to these habits are not numerous. The Night-loving Monkey of South America comes out to look about at the same time as its neighbour, the Night-loving Lemur; and the Common, or Ring-tailed Lemur, is always ready to receive food, or to be noticed in broad daylight, as it goes to bed with monkeydom in general.

The other animals with which the Lemuroida may be confounded are such as Squirrels, Weasels, Rats, Cats, and small Kangaroos. Some Lemuroida have a slight resemblance, in general shape, to some of these, and their habit of going about hopping on the hind legs tends to the general likeness; moreover, in some there are front teeth greatly resembling those of the gnawing, or Rodent animals, and in all the back teeth are somewhat like those of insect-eating animals, orInsectivora. But a little care will show that all these animals are sufficiently distinct so as not to be classified with the Lemuroids in the same group of the animal kingdom. The fact that the Lemuroids have large thumb-like great toes, which enable the foot to be used as a hand, is quite sufficient to distinguish them from animals with paws, and all those mentioned above.

A curious mistake was made by confounding a Lemur with the Sloth (which is never found out of South America, where also there are no Lemurs) in the diary of a correspondent to one of the most important newspapers in the world, and which was read with universal interest, and certainly with great amusement, during the Ashantee War. He wrote:—

“Sloths (!) of the two-toed variety abound in every part of the country. At night we always heard them, and much discussion did they cause. The cry is somewhat like the Nubian Hyena, and I think no evidence appeared besides this deceiving sound to prove the existence of Hyenas on the Gold Coast. It is only a monosyllable,Ka, repeated in scale, at longer and longer intervals as it mounts the gamut. Amongst the last octaves, the creature seems bound to burst. One listened for the final notes with ridiculous anxiety, lying awake in the still darkness.Do,re,mi,fa,solpassed off easily; but thelademanded evident exertion, thesiexertion greater still, and so on at lengthening intervals, till one reached the octaves, which really seemed to split the beast’s throat in utterance. I once heard a Sloth compass six octaves, but he generally finds his ultimatum at the third. The native story goes that the animal makes only a pitiful moaning when on the ground, but no sooner is he arrived on the tree-top than he utters this piercing cry; and therefore, as Mr. Bonnat told me, the Ashantees, a quick-witted people, call certain chiefs of theirscocofhoo, or Sloth, because whilst they were small men they sang small, but they crow very loud from the ‘stools’ to which the king thus raised them.... I believe Mr. Winwood Reade shot a fine Sloth at Mansu. The only specimens I myself saw were two young ones, both captured by cutting down the tree on which they sat. They had pretty grey furs, and the same anxious wretched look common to their family. Those who still credit the old belief about Sloths—if there be any—would have been much disconcerted to observe the activity these creatures showed in running up and down the pole to which they were tied, walking head downwards, of course!”

LEMUROIDS AT HOME IN MADAGASCAR. (After Grandidier.)

HEAD OF INDRIS (PROPITHECUS)VERRAUXII, TO SHOWLEMUROID NOSTRILS.(After Grandidier.)

The Lemuroida as a group have some general characters in common. Firstly, they are all Quadrumanous, and the hinder thumbs are in most very large, strong, opposable to the other digits, and capable of much movement. Furnished also with well-made thumbs on the hands, they have a great power of grasp, and of clasping boughs and large creeping plants during their active climbing and jumping. Then there are special structures on the tips of the fingers; these are flattening of the tips into disc-or button-shaped pads, on the upper surface of which is the nail. The skin of these rounded tips covers a cushion of fat, and is well supplied with sensitive nerves, and hence they are not onlycushions, but extremely fine points of touch. Their use is evidently connected with the extremely agile boundings, from branch to branch, during the hours when there is little or no light. The sense of feeling, then, replaces that of sight to a great extent, and the supply of nerves is sufficient to excite the muscles of the fingers and hands, toes and feet, to hold on at the least touch; while the cushions of fat prevent the extremities from being jarred. These curious tips give a very clumsy appearance to the digits, even when they are extremely small. There is a true claw on the second digit (toe) of the foot, and nails on the other fingers and toes in some Lemuroids, but there are different arrangements of the claws in others. It is noticed when several kinds of them are examined, that there is a great difference in their digits as regards their size and length, and the fourth is the longest instead of the third, as in man: but sometimes the index, or first finger, not counting the thumb, is much reduced in size, and in two forms it is very defective, and only a little knob remains to show its position; but this apparent deformity has something to do with their method of life. The thumbs are well formed, and so are the third, fourth, and fifth digits, the index being as just mentioned, and the result is to divide the hands, as it were, into two opposing portions, giving a grasp like that of the climbing birds—the Parrot, for instance. These kinds of Lemuroida creep slowly towards their prey, and clasp the branches firmly before they jump on the insect they desire to catch. Besides these peculiarities of the hands and feet, which, moreover, are supplied in every joint with tendons and muscles of great motive power, the fore-arm is capable of turning the wrist forwards or backwards, or, as itis called, rotating, and also of bending. Again, the upper arm is loosely but firmly attached to the shoulders and neck, so as to admit of great range of motion, so what with the bending and rotation of the fore-arm, and the mobility and cushioned state of the fingers, these creatures possess a wonderful apparatus, suited for extreme action and safe holding on. The ability to rest on the hind legs and jump like a Kangaroo (seepage 5), which is peculiar to some kinds, depends also upon peculiar structures. The ankle-bones are very long in these, so long, indeed, as to make the foot resemble that of a Frog when jumping more than that of any other animal. The long ankle-bone acts as part of a lever, and enables the muscles of the back of the leg to act on the foot so as to project the creature high in the air, or for many feet from one bough to another, or along the ground. There is nothing like this in the Monkeys. Now, the woolly fur of the Lemuroids, and their cylindrical woolly tails, at first sight appear to be encumbrances to an active animal which lives in the tropics, but they are all extremely chilly creatures, and love heat; moreover, it is possible that severe falls may be rendered less injurious by the deadening influence of a soft fur. The tail is a wonderful apparatus in some kinds, and barely exists in others, being, however, never prehensile even when longest and strongest. Probably it is used as a kind of adjuster of movements in rapid exercise, and certainly it is a great comfort to many, for several kinds like to curl it over their backs, or round their necks, like a sable boa, whilst they are asleep, or basking in the sun. In one kind it is supplied with a marvellous set of tendons, and, indeed, to such an extent of complexity, that it would appear that Nature had lavished mechanical appliances to every joint without any very definite use. It is remarkable that in those Lemuroida which have no tail, or barely a trace, there is a curious arrangement of the blood-vessels. The limbs in these kinds are not supplied with main arteries, and veins with long branches, but the blood-vessels form a closely-packed set of tubes of very small size. This network, in the language of science, is called arete mirabile, “a wonderful network,” for such it is. Curiously enough this arrangement of the blood-vessels is found in some totally different animals, whose movements are very slow and cautious, such as the Sloths, for instance. Equally slow are the movements of some of the kinds of Lemuroida which possess this interesting structure. It has been suggested that this novel division and subdivision of the blood-vessels tends to produce slowness of movement, and it may be said in a general way that the active Lemuroida and active animals of other orders do not have arete mirabile.

EYE OF LEMUROID,SHOWING CONTRACTIONAND DILATATION OF PUPIL.(Original, after Murie.)

Some Lemuroids have short, and others have long muzzles, and there is great variety in the shape of the head. Evidently those with long noses have a very fine sense of smelling, and the whole of the members of the sub-order have a peculiar twist in the outside nostril, which distinguishes them from the Monkeys of both the Old and the New World. This twist was thought to be of great importance in classifying the Lemuroida in the animal scale, and they are often at the present day termed “Strepsirhini,” from the Greek words which mean curved nostril. Some scent out insects and grubs under the bark of trees, and all use this sense in searching for food by night. There are some long hairs about the upper lip and cheeks like those of a Cat, and these “smellers” are doubtless extremely sensitive to touch, and although they do not assist the sense of smelling, they help the animals in avoiding danger in their movements through the dark underwood.

The colour of the iris (the membrane around the pupil of the eyes) is very beautiful in most, and as the eye is large and staring, it is well seen. Sometimes the pupil is round, but in some kinds it is a slit, as it is in the domestic Cat, for instance, and this shape has much to do with their nocturnal habits. The iris moves in two directions, and makes the pupil either larger or smaller; and the importance of this gift is, that whilst a small pupil admits only a very slight quantity of light into the body of the eye, a large one allows a great amount to enter; hence, at eventide the pupil dilates, or, in other words, the iris acts so as to enlarge it, and all the light possible enters, but in sunlight the pupil contracts,even to a point, the iris moving so as to shut out the superfluous and injurious illumination. The nocturnal kinds require a very dilatable pupil, for they move often in comparative darkness, and when the least ray of light is of benefit to them. Besides this structure, there is another which has to do with husbanding, and making the most of faint light. If the eyes of a Lemur are examined a little carefully, they will be found to glare with a very metallic lustre in certain lights, just as those of a Dog and Cat. It appears that in certain animals, and in the Lemuroids, there is a peculiar layer within the eye which looks coloured; but really it is only very finely marked by fibres, which decompose the common white light into its primitive colours, in the same manner as the extremely delicate markings invisible to the naked eye on mother-of-pearl produce the well-known beautifully iridescent tints. This layer is behind the sensitive layer of the eye, and it acts as a concave reflector, collecting the slightest glimmers, and making them of use. The membrane is called the tapetum. It has been noticed that there is a difference in the expression of the eyes of the Lemuroids and Monkeys, and certainly these last have the advantage of showing their impudence, malice, and fear in their beautiful organs of sight.

The ears of some Lemuroida are small, but in the majority not only are they large, but they possess singular powers of movement, and in some can be folded up. The sense of hearing is undoubtedly acute in the nocturnal kinds, and their capacious ears are of immense importance to them, for they have to discover their prey by their sense of smell and sight, and also to be on the alert against their natural enemies.

UPPER SURFACE BRAINOF LEMUR CATTA.(Original, after Murie.)

There is a singular want of sameness in the teeth of the Lemuroida, and several kinds, which apparently lead the same sort of lives, and eat the same food, have different arrangements of the cutting and grinding teeth. Sometimes the front teeth fall out when the second set is cut, and are not replaced, and in the Aye-Aye they act as perfect chisels. As a rule, in all kinds, the lower front teeth project horizontally forwards from the jaw, and somewhat resemble in their direction those of the Marmosets, but the upper ones are straight. As the Lemuroida live easily and perform movements of very much the same character year after year, their brains are not much called upon. They are not as tractable or as intelligent as Monkeys, and although their muscles act with vigour and ease, still they are not required to perform the actions which are regulated by the superior intelligence of the Apes. Hence it is not to be expected that the brain of the Lemuroida will be as well developed as that of the Ape or Monkey. It is, in reality, not so bulky, and not so convoluted. The brain is low in height, longer than broad, and does not cover the cerebellum. Finally, the young Lemuroida are nourished within their parent through a placenta, which is diffuse, and more or less disc-shaped, and therefore unlike that of the animals already described, and of man.

They have a peculiarity about the under part of the tongue, namely, beneath its tip there is a fringe of scaly flesh, the free ends of which, when the mouth is shut, fit in between the front teeth. Its use is unknown, but some have said that it is to keep the back of the teeth and the spaces between them clean.

It is their general shape, and the possession of what may be called a toe-thumb, which makes the Lemuroids resemble Monkeys, but the likeness is not with those of the Old World, but with the furry Marmosets, with long canine and projecting front teeth, of the New World. But although there are these points of resemblance, the intelligence of the Monkey is far in advance of that of the Lemur, and this can be well estimated when their eyes are compared. In the Monkey the eye is very movable, full of varying expression, and often has the aspect of supreme cunning and mischief; but this is never the case in the others, whose fixed, staring eyes have no speculation in them.

Differing as they do from the world of Monkeys, the Lemuroida still resemble them as a whole, more than they do any other animals, and therefore they are associated with them in the scheme of classification. They belong, therefore, with the Monkeys, and man, to thePrimates, and as they present important differences from the Monkeys, they are classified in a separate sub-order of the Primates. This sub-order is called the Lemuroida, a term which has already been explained. Some zoologists, impressed with their great resemblance to the Apes, have called them the Half Apes, and others, looking upon them as the forerunners of the Monkeys, term them Pro-Simia.

SIDE VIEW AND UNDERSURFACE OF THE TONGUEOF A LEMUROID.

The Lemuroida live in very out-of-the-way places, and the majority are in Madagascar, which is an island very little visited by Europeans, and where some naturalists have studied them and their habits under great difficulties. The skins of captured specimens have been stuffed, and a few living kinds have found their way to England; hence there are some fine groups of stuffed Lemuroida in the British Museum, and some living species in the Zoological Gardens. Marvellous stories, of course, abound amongst the natives regarding their tricks and habits, and the sober truth has been very difficult to distinguish from error, especially as the night is the scene of their gaiety. Nevertheless, during the last few years much knowledge has come to hand about these interesting creatures, and it has been rendered all the more important by the labours of the comparative anatomists, who have dissected many kinds of them, and described their results.

There is no doubt that at first sight they are uninteresting. Many sleep most of the day, as a rule, and they cannot be got out of their snug little dens in the Zoological Gardens during visiting hours except by force, and then they look dazed and stupid. But a careful observation opens out much that is extremely interesting in their habits, and shows how remarkably their limbs and bodies are adapted for a singular and nocturnal life. Take an example:—Some Lemuroida, which live in Caffraria and South-eastern Africa, are called “Galagos” by the natives, and the name has been adopted by zoologists. One of these is of an uniform dark brown colour, and the tail is long, cylindrical, and woolly, the ears being large, rounded, and black, and it is called the Black, or Garnett’s Galago. There is nothing to be made of its habits during the day, but if any one is affected with sleeplessness, and desires a domestic pet that would enliven the dreary midnight hours, then forthwith let him purchase a specimen, if possible a pair of them. They will rest quietly enough and contented in their berths during the day, but only let them have freedom in the chamber for a while at night, with a Cat or Dog for companion, and,presto!the dull hours will be merry. The following is Mr. Bartlett’s (Superintendent of the Zoological Gardens) experience in a letter addressed to one of us:—“The other night I took an opportunity of letting one of these interesting creatures—Garnett’s Galago—have his liberty in my room, and I assure you I was well repaid by his performance. Judge my utter astonishment to see him on the floor, jumping aboutuprightlike a Kangaroo, only with much greater speed and intelligence. The little one sprang from the ground on to the legs of tables, arms of chairs, and indeed on to any piece of furniture in the room; in fact, he was more like a sprite than the best pantomimist I ever saw. What surprised me most was his entire want of fear of Dogs and Cats. These be boldly met and jumped on at once, and in the most playful manner hugged and tumbled about with them, rolling over and over, hanging on their tails, licking them on the head and face. I must add, however, that now and again he gave them a sharp bite, and then bounded off, full of fun at the noise they made in consequence of the sly nip he had inflicted. This active trickery he never appeared to tire of; and I was myself so pleased on witnessing the droll antics of the creature that the night passed and it was near daybreak before I put a stop to his frolics by catching and consigning him to his cage. In bounding about on the level ground, his jumps, on the hind-legs only, are very astonishing, at least several feet at a spring, and with a rapidity that requires the utmost attention to follow. From the back of a chair he sprang, with the greatest ease, on to the table, four feet distance. He was delighted with a little wooden ball, which he rolled about and played with for a considerable time, carrying it in one hand while he hopped and skipped about in high glee. He eats fruits, sweetmeats, bread, and any kind of animal substance, killing everything he can pounce upon and overpower. This strong and active little brute thus eats his prey at once, as I had proof in an unfortunate Sparrow which he unmercifully devoured head first.”

Another pair of these Galagos, since kept in the Society’s Gardens, at dusk and nightfall behave quite as actively. Most unwillingly are they poked out of their comfortable sleeping-box during the day, or even when becoming dark, until they hear the keeper sounding all visitors out, and quietness reigns. Immediately, then, they are full of life, and utter an extraordinarily loud and prolonged ka-ka-ing yell, a sort offeu-de-joie. From even till morn there follow unceasing motion and occasional ejaculation, until, on the appearance of the keeper, they retire to rest.

GARNETT’S GALAGO.

The number of the Lemuroida is considerable, and they have been grouped in at least twelve genera, and these, again, have been arranged in families. These will be classified by-and-by. It is extremely difficult in many instances to distinguish one kind or species from another, in consequence of the great sameness of shape, and the fact that the same individual has a different coloured coat at various times of his life, and that the males and females of the same kind are often differently coloured.

It will be seen, on reading the description of the Monkeys in the first chapters, that they can be arranged not only by their peculiar structures into grand groups, but by the particular parts of the world they inhabit. Hence they have been divided into those of the Old and of the New World. Now, something of the same kind may be done for the Lemuroida, but not quite as perfectly. There are six genera of them living in Madagascar, three in Africa, and three in the great Asiatic Islands and Hindostan. But although some of those of one locality are very distinct from those of others, it is not always so, and one Madagascar and one African group present close resemblances, and, curiously enough, two West African genera are classed close to two whose kinds live in Ceylon, Hindostan, and the island of Borneo.

No Lemuroid has ever been found in the New World, or in Australia. It will then be convenient, in order to avoid too much anatomical description, to separate at first the Lemurs geographically, and the first to be noticed are those of Madagascar.

As yet very little is known about the natural beauties of the great island of Madagascar. Very few books have been written about it, and nearly all of them are devoted to descriptions of the manners, customs, and religions of the different tribes. In fact, missionary work and political enterprise rendered the publication of such works necessary, and, with rare exceptions, the beauties of Nature, and the interesting fauna and flora, were treated with neglect.[115]Moreover, the jealousy of the governing powers prevented many of those travellers, who were competent to observe Nature and to appreciate her beauties, from exploring large tracts of the island. Descriptions, then, of the characteristic scenery, and of the habits of most of the animals of Madagascar, are exceedingly scarce; and, indeed, those which do exist cannot all be believed, for one geographer, whose work teems with lively anecdotes, and with illustrations of forest and upland, is stated by a later writer never to have left the eastern coast.

It appears, however, that the scenery of the great island is very varied. There is a long line of sea-coast, which is fertile in some places, but very sterile and unprofitable in the south especially. This coast-line limits the forest land, which forms a belt around the higher mountains of the central part of the country, and the hill or comparatively treeless district is broken and very romantic. Those who hunt the Lemuroida know that it is useless to seek for certain kinds everywhere; and, indeed, their experience proves that each of the different districts of the island has a peculiar little assemblage of these “Half Apes” amongst its trees. The silence amongst the woods, where the luxuriance of vegetation is extraordinary, is most remarkable. It is so different from the noise and motion within tropical forests in other parts of the world, and it is only at the end of the day, when the short twilight approaches its close, that the quiet solemnity of the scene is broken by the cries and agile movements of the various Lemuroida. The quietude is produced by the absence of the whole of the Monkey tribes from Madagascar, for they are the great noise-makers of the forests of other tropical countries, and by the indisposition of most of the Lemuroids to move by daylight. They hide themselves in nests of leaves or amongst the densest foliage, and some seek the tops of the highest trees for safety. They seem to know that the hunter will seek them by day if possible. But as the dusk approaches, the quiet, solemn-looking creatures begin to move, jump, swing, and run along the branches with a wonderful dexterity and rapidity. They rarely come to the ground, and when they do so, their gait is clumsy, but up in the trees their motions are graceful and noiseless. They cry out to each other, and appear to take a delight in disturbing the echoes of the night, and after eating their fill they become quieter towards dawn, when they retire to their hiding-places looking dazed and half-blinded by the light. Some of the kinds calledIndris, now about to be described, illustrate these remarks very well; thus one species is only found in little patches of forest land, quite in the extreme south of the island, where the country is sandy and poor, whilst a second is found in the north-east of the island amongst the luxuriant woodland. Some keep to the districts where the bamboos abound, much to the disgust of the hunter, for the covert is thick, and the leaves very destructive to clothing. Probably it is the difficulty in trapping and shooting some kinds, and their night-life, which gives them a superior intelligence in the eyes of the natives, who hold some which are very man-like, having no tail, or only just a stump, in great veneration.

The distinguished traveller of Madagascar, M. Grandidier, found it very difficult to obtain much information about these Lemuroids, the name of which is the same as a native expression of surprise, such as “Look, there it is!” He undertook a very perilous journey by sea and land to the south of the island, and there he found the favourite woods of some, and also in the south-west. He arrived in a coaster, in June, 1866, off Fort Dauphin in the south-east of the island, and being blown out to sea, gainedthe southernmost cape, St. Marie, off a most inhospitable and arid shore. A long row of sand dunes, without a trace of vegetation, bounded, in the background, a low coast-line of rocks, which extended far into the shallow sea, being constantly hidden by furious waves. Not a trace of man or of dwellings could be seen. The sand dunes slope towards the sea at a high angle, and are at least 150 yards high. Their tops are flat, and continue backwards into the country for some distance. They are composed of broken shells, and are covered here and there by a stunted spiny vegetation. It was on the slopes of these dunes that Grandidier found portions of the eggs of the extinct colossal bird Æpyornis. Beyond the dunes is a vast plain without even small hills, and covered with a scanty vegetation of groups of deformed trees; but in the remote distance hills are seen, and then there are numerous forests.

Some species of Indris live in these stunted forests of deformed trees, in bands of ten or twelve, and never come to the ground except when pressed by hunger. When seen under such circumstances, they stand up on their hind feet, their tail hanging behind them, and they advance by little hop-like motions, resembling those of a child that jumps with its feet tied together.

They are nearly white in colour, and are calledSifacby the natives (page 212), and are looked upon with veneration, for they are not very unlike very small men in general shape, especially when they stand erect. In common with all the Indris, they are slim, tall, long-legged animals, with very strong feet, with a large and well-formed thumb-like opposable great toe. The head is very furry, and the ears, tufted with hair, are almost, but not quite, hidden, whilst the muzzle, moderate in length, projects between the staring eyes. They have a longish neck, and the body seems to be compressed at the sides. All the fur is soft, and stands out, and that of the tail makes it like a Fox’s brush, but is more slim and cylindrical.

But there is a curious arrangement of the fingers, for the index finger of the hand (that is to say, the first finger, not counting the thumb) is shorter than the fifth, so that their “fore finger” is a little finger. The toe-thumb is placed widely from the toes, and rather backwardly, and the toes are united together by a kind of fold or web of the skin which reaches up to the first joint; moreover, the first toe (not including the toe-thumb) has a curved claw on it. They are not good walkers, any more than the Apes, although, like them, they assume the erect position, and it is only on very rare occasions, and when it is necessary to cross a tract of land to get to trees with more fruit upon them, that they attempt to put the foot to the ground. It is not their natural position, and they seem to be quite out of their element. When they come to the ground they rest on the outer edges of the feet, and soon drop on their hands, on the corresponding parts of which they support themselves. So walking is performed with difficulty, and not with grace, and in this they may be compared with the Orangs; but in the Indris the arms are always shorter than the legs. In the trees and branches, which are their favourite haunts, they climb easily, rapidly, and with grace, running along the boughs, jumping to great distances, and alighting with unerring certainty, and clinging on with wonderful tenacity. The structure of the muscles, bones, and ligaments enables them to lead this active arboreal existence, and so strong is their power of grasp, that it remains sometimes after death, for it has happened that in shooting them whilst clinging to the branches they have remained suspended after having been mortally wounded, or dead.

Being dwellers in the foliage of the trees, and amongst the network of branches, twigs, and creepers, the kinds of Indris have a choice of many kinds of food. Leaves, buds, fruit, insects, eggs, and small birds are constantly within their reach, but usually they do not hunt or chase prey, and are satisfied with the best fruit they can find, and other vegetable substances. Nevertheless, they do not despise or reject a bird as something out of the common way of diet, and they open the skull and suck the brains. The teeth are not very well suited for stopping and killing living prey, for in the grown-up individuals there are no lower canines, there being only an upper pair, and thus one of the most important seizing and killing arrangements is absent. On the other hand there are plenty of crushing teeth, with sharp points to them, which enable the Indris to champ fruit without much side to side movement of the jaw being permitted. There are two false, or premolars on each side in both jaws, and three molar teeth behind them. Besides these there are four front teeth in both jaws. In all there are thirty teeth, a smaller number than in any of the animals yet considered.

The upper front teeth, or incisors (four in number only), project forwards very slightly, and nearly bite up and down; but the four lower front teeth (incisors) project well forwards, and the outer pair ofthem are sometimes called canines, but their office is plainly the same as that of the other front teeth. The predominance of the crushing teeth (there being twenty of them) over those adapted for tearing flesh, denotes that these animals should have a vegetable diet, and this requires larger digestive organs, as the food is bulky. So it is found that the stomach is single, and then there is a very large cæcum, or blind-gut, which ends in a large intestine, which is very long, and twisted on itself, so as to form two regular folds, one on the other, instead of one, as is commonly observed in the higher animals already noticed; in fact, the arrangement is not very unlike that of the sheep, whilst the cæcum is on the same scale as that of that great vegetarian, the Rabbit. These large parts of the digestive apparatus are common to most vegetable-eating animals, whilst the flesh-eaters have them short and small.

But the Indris does not begin life with the prospect of being a vegetarian, for it has a first set of teeth, or milk teeth, as they are termed, and these are shed to make way for the second, or permanent set. Now, it is most curious that the young should have more teeth than the elders, and that were this first set to persist through life, it would indicate a very mixed-feeding animal. The little ones have no less than thirty-four teeth, and they have two lower canines, and two extra lower false molars more than the adults. As age increases all these first teeth gradually fall out, and are replaced, to a certain extent, by the second set mentioned above.

SKULL OF BLACK INDRIS, SHOWINGADULT DENTITION.MILK DENTITION OF INDRIS.c, CANINE, ANDp, PREMOLAR, NOT REPLACED IN ADULT.

SKULL OF BLACK INDRIS, SHOWINGADULT DENTITION.

MILK DENTITION OF INDRIS.c, CANINE, ANDp, PREMOLAR, NOT REPLACED IN ADULT.

Now, what is the meaning of this? Why should the young have a larger set than the adults? Clearly those of the adult are admirably adapted for its life, and it is equally evident that those of the young are of no particular use to them. They are either suckling, or are eating fruits obtained for them, and do not kill and feed on birds and living things. It is found that the milk teeth of Indris correspond with the adult or permanent set of such an animal as the Ring-tailed Lemur, which belongs to a different genus. Hence the perfect condition of the teeth of the genus Lemur are the same as the first arrangement of the teeth in the genus Indris. It tends to prove that there is some genealogical relationship between the two genera, and that they were derived from a common ancestor. Moreover, it may be assumed that the milk teeth of all animals are inherited from a perfect and adult ancestral form which was less highly organised or constituted.

It is said that the female Indris has but one little one at a time, and that they are all gentle and timid, being rarely kept for any time in captivity. They are nocturnal in their habits, and evidently have extremely sensitive vision, and, like the others which lead this life, they are protected from many jarring falls by the structure of their hands and feet.

DIADEM INDRIS AND WOOLLY INDRIS. (After Grandidier.)

This is a fine species, with a white furry ruff, or crown, on the forehead and around the face, and it has a long muzzle and body, and a thick, long tail. It greatly resembles the White Indris, calledSifac, with the exception of its characteristic head ornament, and leads the same kind of life in another part of the island of Madagascar. Fine stuffed specimens of it, and of many other Indrisinæ, are in the British Museum, and it will be noticed that they are there called, not Indris, but Propithecus, which is another name for them. It is a question of the value of a tail in classification, which produces the two names for one genus. Some zoologists are impressed with the great importance of the tail, and do not class species together as a genus, although they may have strong resemblances, unless they all have or have not tails. Others do not consider the possession of a tail to be of such great importance when the other characters are sufficiently close to render it advisable to form them into one group. The same question arose in considering the Monkeys, for in the genus Macacus we admitted Macaques with and without tails; and also in the genus Cynocephalus, in which there are some with good, others with small, and a few with very stumpy tails, the same caudal latitude was given. Hence, it is not consistent to form two genera of these creatures, one with a tail (or Propithecus) and the other without one, or with a stump (or Indris). Indris contains the Lemuroids, whose other resemblances are so great that they overweigh the tail question. So little is known about the Diadem Indris that it is only necessary to notice one point in its anatomy, which refers to its habits. It evidently assumes the semi-erect posture very frequently when climbing, and a great part of the weight of the body is felt by the foot and its great clasping toe-thumb. The examination of the foot proves that it is one, and not a hand, for bone for bone it may be comparedwith the human foot, and that of the Apes. The great toe is wide apart from the others, and in that it resembles the thumb of a hand; but all the other bones of the ankle or tarsus are in the same relative position as they occupy in us. They have the same names. Their foot is very broad, and this is produced by the extra size of the four front bones of the ankle, and these form an arch, the three inner ones being more or less wedge-shaped, and the outer, or fourth, is more or less of a cube in shape; hence they are called the wedge-shaped (cuneiform) and cube-shaped (or cuboid) bones. They are jointed in front to the long bones (metatarsals), and behind to the three other ankle-bones. All are united more or less solidly by ligaments, and yet there is motion. Now in this Indris the wedge-shaped bones are large, especially the second from the inside, or the middle one, and curiously enough this is small in most other Lemuroids. The large arch formed by these bones contributes to the strength of the foot.

BLACK OR SHORT-TAILED INDRIS. (Modified after Grandidier.)

The Diadem Indris is found in the forests of the central parts of Madagascar, and appears to keep apart from other kinds and to roam about the dense woods in bands.

This is one of the long-tailed Indris, and is remarkable for having long hinder limbs, a long furry tail, a very short muzzle, and a round head.

It was first described by Sonnerat, in his voyage to the East Indies, who called it theMakis à bourre, or the Woolly Makis. On the north-east coast, the natives call this Indris the Amponghi, and this name is given to it in the great forest of Tsasifoutt, which is in the island of St. Mary, adjacent to Madagascar. This is an interesting point, for it affords evidence that the island of Madagascar had once a greater geographical extension, and that St. Mary’s and the other small islands along the coast were at a former period continuous with it. These woolly Indris are not frequently caught, or indeed seen at all, for they hide during the daytime, and sleep curled up amongst the thick shade of the foliage, or in some comfortable nest in the hollow of a tree. At night-time they wake up, and eat and play amongst the trees on which their food grows. They are said to be stupid animals, but probably, as they have never had their intelligence tested except when half asleep, they may be quite as intelligent as the other Lemuroids, and this opinion is strengthened by the fact that the brain of theIndris lanigeris large in proportion to the size of the body; larger indeed in proportion than the brain of any of the others. It is this relative size of the great organ of the nervous system which has impressed some zoologists with the propriety of placing this Indris at the head of all the Lemuroids, and nearest the Monkeys.

The animals are small in size, and a dried skin measures rather more than a foot and a half in length, from the muzzle to the root of the tail, and this latter appendage is thirteen inches long. The head is broad over the eyes, which are wide apart, and the muzzle barely projects, and the whole of the face is covered with short hairs of a reddish-brown tint. There is a distinct band of whitish fur placed across the top of the forehead, and which has fur before and behind it of a darker colour than the rest of the hair of the body. This band is curved, and forms a point which projects forward in the middle line of the forehead. The fur on the back and flanks of the body is of a dark grey colour close to the skin, but on its surface the colour is brown more or less rusty. This is the tint on the extremities, the grey colour underlying. On the backs of the thighs there are white patches, and at those spots there is no deep-seated grey tint. The cylindrical tail is reddish-brown, like the hands and feet. The ears are short and rounded, and are generally hairy, but not tufted, and they are hidden in the fur of the head. The nostrils are separated by a narrow septum. The feet are short and broad, and the claw of the toe is long and cylindrical.

Although the muzzle is so short, the teeth are set so as to be in a long row on each side, for the front cutting teeth are not placed side by side, but in front of each other, and there is a strange gap between the inner ones in the upper jaw. Then the canine teeth, seen, of course, only in the upper jaw, are very broad, and the next teeth to them (the first pre-molars) are as large as they are. This is a marked peculiarity, and there is no other creature except man that has these teeth so closely resembling each other. To complete the notice of this little highly-constructed Indris it is necessary to remark that its wrist-bones resemble in their number and place those of man and the higher Apes. The Gibbons and all the other Monkeys have an extra bone to the wrist, called theintermedium, and this is present in the Indris already noticed, but it is absent in this Avahi, and in the next kind about to be described.

The next species to be noticed was never included in the so-called genus Propithecus, as it has only a short stump of a tail, but has always been taken as the special illustration of the groupIndris.

This species can be distinguished from all others by its stump-like tail. It has a long muzzle, visible hairy ears, and generally speaking the fur is black; it is marked, however, with white hairs on the fore-arms, back, and hinder quarters. As regards the teeth, there is some variability in the size of the upper incisors in different individuals, and the front pair may be smaller or larger than the hind pair. The inhabitants of Madagascar call it the Babakoto (babameans “father,” andkoto, “boy”). This Indris, which attains the height of three feet, is found in the interior of the east of Madagascar; and when Vinson travelled through one of the great forests in that part of the island, he was constantly annoyed by the incessant noise made by numerous bands of them, which kept themselves, however, out of sight, and hidden in the dense foliage. The natives consider the Babakoto sacred, and believe that the trees on which they live yield leaves which will cure all diseases. Moreover, they tell someastonishing stories about these objects of their veneration. They say that it is dangerous to cast a spear at one of them, for, if it misses its mark, the animal returns the weapon with a surer aim! They also assert that after a little one is born, the mother throws it to the father, who is usually up a tree close by, and he throws it back again! This exercise is repeated several times; and if the young one is invariably caught it is reared with care, but if it tumbles, there is an end of it. They train the Babakoto to catch birds; and it is said that they become as useful as Dogs; moreover, it appears that, although these Indris are in the main fruit-eaters, they will not despise the brains of birds, which they suck with evident delight.

The skull of an Indris has large orbits, which are open behind into the space in which the temporal muscle works, and the “tear-canal” is in front of the orbit; moreover, the forehead, or frontal bone, is divided. The lower jaw has its angle, or the part between that which holds the teeth and that which rises up to be jointed with the skull, turned in, and the upper jaw in front is joined by the intermaxillary bones.

An animal which has no upper front teeth is certainly a curiosity, especially when its general state and habits resemble those of the other Indris and Lemuroids, and the Lepilemur is such a one. It is found in Madagascar, and it is interesting on account of the variable nature of the colour of the fur in different individuals, as well as from the nature of its teeth and its habits. It differs, however, so much from all the other Lemuroida, that it is placed by itself in a genus, and the distinctions are that when fully grown it has no upper front teeth, although it has them in the first, or milk set, and that it has also four teats for its young instead of two, as is the case in all the animals hitherto noticed. The name refers to its prettiness, and hence the genus is calledLepilemur.

This creature, considering its size, has an immense tail, as it is ten inches long, the head and trunk measuring only fourteen, and the whole animal forms a nice little meal for the natives of the north-west of the island. They call it Fitili-Ki, and as it eats the buds and leaves of trees it has a good flavour as a meat; hence it is sought after, but not hunted, for that is unnecessary. Knowing its habits the natives watch it, and, when it has left off playing and scampering about with its fellows (for it is very sociable), notice where it retires as daylight appears. There they find their prey quietly asleep, curled up in a comfortable nest of leaves, and they kill it with a stick. Hunting them would be useless, for they are quite nocturnal in their habits, and their activity in moving, and agility in taking prodigious bounds and jumps, are wonderful. Indeed, their body seems to be carefully made as strong as possible to meet the strains of their jumping, and there is a ridge of bone in the bodies of some of the vertebræ which strengthens the spine as a whole; moreover, the relation of the length of the ankle-bones and of the lower leg is that which is best adapted to their heedless rushings from branch to branch through the woods. Their nightly excursions for fruit and play are rendered all the more safe by their great eyes and widely open orbits, but how the eating the fruit is assisted by the want of the upper front teeth may probably puzzle most people. Perhaps the diet may require a greater use than is usual of the back teeth, and the lower ones are peculiar, for their front part is carried forward outside the next tooth before them in the jaw, giving thus much extra strength to the whole. This Weasel Lemur, orLepilemur mustelinus, has fair-sized ears, and its colours are of all sorts of shades of red, grey, white, and yellow.

These animals hide their little ones, which do not get about much at first, in nests made in the holes in trees.

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