338 Sh- T. S. Raffles's Descriptive Catalogue 



the mouth is wide, and the lips singularly erenated within. 

 The pupils of the eyes are so large, that scarcely any other 

 part of the eye is visible ; the ears are large, and project late- 

 rally. The whole face has a peculiar and singular aspect, the 

 grinning mouth giving it an odd expression of risibility. The 

 number of teeth has been differently stated by authors. In 

 this specimen there appear to be four above and the same 

 number below, of which the middle two are the longest in the 

 upper jaw, and the outer two longer in the lower. The ca- 

 nines of the upper jaw are longer than those of the lower, and 

 are followed by a tooth which, from its proximity to the ca- 

 nine and distance from the other molars, might almost be 

 taken for a second canine : in the lower jaw there is a vacant 

 space between the canines and the molars. The tail is nearly 

 naked to within an inch of the extremity, where it is tufted 

 with hair. 



The animal has been forwarded in spirits to Sir Everard Home : 

 it will therefore be unnecessary to enlarge more upon it here. 



The name Singapooa appears to be given to it from some fan- 

 cied resemblance to a Lion, Singa signifying a Lion, and Pooa 

 (the generic name of the Scitamineous plants) being employed 

 figuratively to denote smallness. It is related in the fables of 

 the country, that the animal was originally as large as a Lion, 

 but has degenerated in modern times to the size we now find it. 



It is only seen in the depth of the forests, and that very rarely, 

 once perhaps in two or three years, and is said to live on various 

 kinds of wild fruits and young leaves. It is said to ascend trees by 

 short leaps, and to produce only one young one at a time. The 

 inhabitants have a superstitious dread of these animals, insomuch 

 that, if they happen to see one upon any tree near their ladangs 

 or forest rice-fields, they will immediately abandon them and 



seek 



