196 Scientific Intelligence. — Zoology. 



tion. Nay, though a specimen of this animal was dissected by 

 that very celebrated anatomist Sir Anthony Carlisle, a good' 

 many years ago, and though at this time he made a most im- 

 portant discovery, that the arteries of the superior and inferior 

 extremities of this animal divided into numerous small branches, 

 as is the case in the sloths, — his tongue and his eyes were appa- 

 rently never examined by him, and the peculiarities which occur 

 in these organs, and which are interesting in themselves, have 

 never been pointed out. A short description, therefore, of these 

 peculiarities, and some of his habits, may not be uninteresting. — 

 The genus Lemur of Linnaeus (the Makis of Cuvier), including 

 animals with long tails and great swiftness, as the L. catta and 

 X. macaco^ and animals without tails and remarkable slowness 

 of motion, as the L. tardigradus, has been split by Cuvier, after 

 M. GeofFroy, into several divisions. Two of this singular genus 

 are remarkable for their slowness of motion, and have been 

 formed by that naturahst into a distinct genus, the Loris. This 

 species, the Loris paresseux, is a native of India, the specimen 

 from which this description is taken, and which is still alive, 

 having been procured at Penang, or Prince of Wales'* Island. His 

 body is of a dusky-brownish colour, it is particularly well 

 marked by a line of dark-brown running along the back, and 

 is covered with a very thick short fur. This sort of covering, 

 which is seldom to be met with in animals belonging to a tropi- 

 cal climate, would appear to be necessary for this animal ; for, 

 being exceedingly slothful in his motions, and apparently inca- 

 pable of taking much exercise, it becomes necessary to defend 

 him in this manner from the cold of winter, to which he is very 

 sensible. His eyes are large and very prominent, almost perfect 

 hemispheres in shape, and very much approximated. They shine 

 very brilliantly in the dark, especially when animated, when 

 they glow like balls of fire. The manner in which he closes his 

 eyelids is very peculiar. All the animals we know belonging to 

 the class Mammalia, like man, close their eyelids in a direction 

 upwards and downwards, and, in general, at least, the upper 

 eyelid is the one which possesses the greater degree of motion. 

 In this animal, however, the eyelids are brought together in a 

 diagonal direction, or outwards and inwards, which gives him, 

 at the moment of shutting his eyes, a most peculiar look ; and 



