THE MOUSE-LEMURS. 



49 



Habits. — This species, named by the Portuguese " Rat of the 

 Cocoanut Palm," nestles by day among the palm fronds, its ears 

 folded up like a Beetle's wing, and, if disturbed, it performs 

 feats of agility, darting from one palm to another. " It will 

 spring with great rapidity," says Sir John Kirk, "adhering 

 to any object as if it were a lump of wet clay. It has one 

 failing, — should a pot of palm-wine be left on the top of the 

 tree the creature drinks to excess, comes down and rushes 

 about intoxicated," and can then be easily caught. " It be- 

 comes active just after darkness sets in. The rapidity and 

 length of its leaps, which were absolutely noiseless, must give 

 great facilities to its capturing live prey. I never knew it give 

 a loud call, but it would often make a low chattering noise." 



THE MOUSE-LEMURS. GENUS CIIIROGALE. 

 CheirogakuSj Geoffr., Ann. du Mus., xix., p. 171 (1812). 

 Chirogaie, Forsyth Major, Nov. Zcol., i., p. i (1894). 



In this genus are included a group of Lemurs of very small 

 dimensions, and of which the following are the more important 

 characters : The rounded head has a short face covered with 

 fur. The eyes are very large and set close together, agreeing 

 well with their nocturnal life. The ears are conspicuous, 

 projecting beyond the fur, thin, and membranaceous. The 

 hind-limbs are larger than the fore-, the foot being remarkably 

 elongated by the lengthening of the heel-bone {Astragalus). 

 The nail of the second finger is pointed, but all the rest are 

 flat. The length of the tail exceeds that of the body. In 

 some the orbits are directed outwards instead of directly for- 

 wards as is generally the case among the members of the 

 Sub-order. Of the teeth in the upper jaw, the inner incisors 

 are larger than the outer ; the anterior pre-molar is as long 

 3— V, T E 



