THE MOUSE-LEMURS. ei 



molar has one inner and two outer cusps. {Forsyth Major) 

 Heel-bone elongated. 



General colour varying considerably; top of head, neck, and 

 upper part of back, brownish-grey or uniform delicate fawn- 

 brown, sometimes " grizzled with silvery-grey " or washed with 

 rufous, more especially on the head ; rest of back, sides, outer 

 sides of limbs and tail ashy-brown ; under side and inner side 

 of limbs greyish-white, or white slighdy washed with yellowish. 

 Ring round orbits and side of nose, black ; space between the 

 eyes lighter than the back of the head. Length, 7-8 inches. 

 The young are dark Mouse-grey. 



Distribution.— Milius' Mouse-Lemur, though a rare species, 

 is widely distributed in Madagascar, being found in fehe Ankay 

 Forest on the north-east coast as well as along the west coast 

 as far south as Mouroundava. 



Habits. — This beautiful little Lemur, no bigger than a Guinea- 

 pig, is, like most of the other species of its group, nocturnal 

 and arboreal, feeding on fruits and probably honey. It runs 

 on all fours, but sits up to eat, holding its food in its hands. 

 In the winter months it is believed to hibernate in hollow 

 trees. Having scooped out a cavity big enough to contain its 

 body, the Httle animal collects, according to the Rev. G. A. 

 Shaw, sufficient loose leaves and grass to cover it; it then 

 retires, and, burying itself in the heap, is sustained during its 

 period of hibernation by the store of fat which, during the 

 summer months, becomes deposited at the root of the tail, 

 and swells the latter out to an enormous size. 



II. THE BLACK-EARED MOUSE-LEMUR. CHIROGALE MELANOTIS. 



Cheirogaleus typicus (nee Smith), Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. 

 Mus. App., p. 133 (1870); id. P.Z,.S., 1872, p. 855 (par- 

 tim), pi. Ixxi., ^^ \ 



£ 7 



