548 



THE AYE-AYE 



slender. The index finger is much as in Nycticelius. The colour, 

 too, is not widely different, Ijeing of a yellowish grey, but it lacks 

 the dorsal stripe which distinguishes its relative. The incisor 

 teeth are equal and very small. The last upper molar has four 

 cusps instead of the three of Nycticebus. This Lemur is confined 

 to Southern India and Ceylon, and has much the same hal)its as 

 the last. But it is rather more active, and can capture small 

 birds when sleeping upon the trees ; its diet, however, is mixed, 

 and is vegetarian as well as animal. 



A mysterious Lemur, which we conveniently place as a kind 

 of appendix to the present family on account of its locality, has 

 been shortly described by Xachtrieb from the Philippines. The 

 tail is rudimentary : there are two upper incisors, but as many as 

 six lower. It is dou])tful what the beast really is. 



Fam. 2, Chiromyidae. — This family contains but a single 

 genus and species, the Aye-aye, Chiromys madagascariensis, 



Fig. 263. — Aye-aye. Chiromys madagascariensis. 



whose characters therefore are for the present those of the 

 family as well as of the genus and species. The external 

 features of this extraordinary animal will be gathered from 

 an inspection of Fig. 263, from which it will be seen that 

 the earlier name of Sciurus given to the creature was not by 

 any means a misnomer. The Squirrel-like appearance is due, 

 of course, chiefly to the strong and long incisor teeth. As 

 to the external characters, which are of systematic importance. 



