96 Lloyd's natural history. 



Of this species there are two forms, an easfern and a 

 northerfi^ the latter being always smaller in size, with the fur 

 lighter and less rusty. In some varieties the upper surface is 

 dark rusty-red all over, and the inner sides of the limbs pure 

 white. Examples from the north-west coast are constantly 

 smaller ; the head rounder, and the facial hairs grey ; no white 

 band on the forehead ; upper surface bright yellowish-brown ; 

 tail rusty-grey ; under side of hind-limbs pure white, the under 

 surface and inner side of the arms whitish. The variation in 

 coloration is due to the middle part of the hairs, which in 

 typical specimens is rusty-red, but is yellow in the above- 

 mentioned form. Hands and feet grey. 



Young. — Ashy-grey, slightly washed with red. 



Distribution. — The Woolly Avahi seems to inhabit only the 

 forests of the parallel ranges of the mountains which face the 

 whole eastern coast of Madagascar; it extends round the bay 

 of Passandava on the west coast, opposite to the northern 

 termination of this eastern range of mountains. 



Habits. — This species — the smallest of the IndrisincR — being 

 essentially nocturnal, is torpid during the day, and is the wild- 

 est and least docile of the family. The first specimen of the 

 "Avahi," the name by which this animal is known among 

 the A-natala tribe, was brought to Europe by Sonnerat, the 

 French traveller, in 1 781, and nearly half a century elapsed be- 

 fore a second one was obtained. Since then several specimens 

 have oeen kept in captivity in the different zoological gardens 

 of Europe. 



THE SIFAKAS. GENUS PROPITHECUS. 

 Propithecus^ Bennett, P. Z. S., 1832, p. 20; Milne-Edwards 

 and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag., Mamm., i., p. 288 

 (with full svnonymy). 



