36 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



as well as in the Philippine Islands. The form from the last- 

 named localiiies (figured on Plate III.) has generally been 

 recognised as N. javanicus ; but, from a careful examination of 

 the material in the British Museum, it appears to the present 

 writer that the specimens from all these localities merge so in- 

 sensibly into each other that it is impossible to separate them 

 into distinct species. The Slow-Loris, though occurring on the ; 

 north-eastern frontier of India, has not yet been discovered 

 in the Himalayas. 



Habits.— Like the Slender Loris, the Slow-Loris is arboreal 

 and nocturnal, hardly differing in its food and general habits I. 

 from the latter. It lives alone or in pairs, and moves about 

 very slowly, with its head curiously drawn up close to its body, 

 with the latter arched and its limbs very angularly disposed. 

 Colonel Tickell, has observed it, however, to raise itself on 

 its hind-legs and throw itself upon an insect. It is generally 

 silent, but can utter a low growl when angry. In captivity it \ 

 becomes docile, but is never very long-lived. Tickell records 

 that "it never by choice leaves the trees. ... It climbs 

 readily and grasps with great tenacity. If placed on the ground, i 

 it proceeds, if frightened, in a wavering kind of trot, the limbs^ 

 placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled up in a ball, its head • 

 and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up in the dusk 

 of the evening to commence its nocturnal rambles." Another* 

 observer records : ''When he climbs he first lays hold of the- 

 branch with one of his hands and then with the other. When ] 

 he has obtained a firm hold with both hands, he moves one j 

 of his hind-paws, and after firmly grasping the branch with it^ j 

 he moves the other. He never quits his hold with his hind- i 

 paws until he has obtained a secure grasp with his hands." The 

 remarkable tenacity of grasp in its feet is largely due to the auto 



