540 



THE TRUE LEMURS 



several varieties are allowed. The colours of these Lemurs are 

 bright, and distributed so as to form contrasting bands ; thus 

 P. coquereli, a variety of P. verreauxi, has a black face and a 

 body mainly white, with splashes of a rich maroon upon the 

 limbs and upon the chest. 



These Lemurs are diurnal, and are especially active in the 

 early morning and evening, sleeping, or at any rate remaining 

 quiet, during the heat of the day. Their fitness for an arboreal 

 life is shown by the existence of a parachute-like fold of skin 

 between the arms and the body, which suggests a commencement 

 of the more complete parachute of Flying Foxes, etc. These 

 Lemurs are said to be reverenced and therefore shielded from 

 injury by the natives of Madagascar. 



Sub-Fam. 2. Lemurinae. The "True Lemurs"are all inhabit- 

 ants of Madagascar and of the Comoro Islands. They have not such 

 long hind-limbs as have the members of the last sub-family, nor 

 are the toes webbed. The tooth formula differs from that of the 

 Indrisinae in that there is one more premolar on each side of 

 the upper jaw, and often one more incisor in the lower jaw, 

 making thus a total of thirty-six teeth. Sometimes, however, 

 the incisors of the upper jaw are totally wanting. 



The Hattock, genus Mixocebus, is a scarce creature, only known 

 from a single species, M. caniceps. As it is rare, nothing is 

 known of its habits. It has one pair of upper incisors. The 

 creature is one foot and half an inch long, exclusive of the tail, 

 which is an inch longer than the body. 



Genus Lepilemur.- -The Lemurs belonging to this genus, 

 entirely confined to Madagascar, as are all the Lemurinae, have 

 received the perfectly unnecessary and pseudo-vernacular name of 

 " Sportive Lemurs " ; an equally inappropriate and" not at all 

 ingenious name of "Gentle Lemurs" being bestowed Upon the 

 allied genus Hapalemur. In Lepilemur there are seven species, 

 which are to be distinguished from Mixocebus in having the tail 

 shorter than the body. There are no incisors in the upper jaw. 

 The last molar is tricuspidate in the upper jaw ; that of the lower 

 jaw has five cusps. They are nocturnal creatures, and but little 

 is known of their habits. Previously to Dr. Forsyth Major's visit 

 to Madagascar only two species of the genus were known ; he has 

 added five others. The length of the body is 14 inches, and that of 

 the tail 10 inches, in L. mustelinus, which is the Jargest species. 



