— 99 — 



than long, weighs 800 pounds and is said to be able 

 to cary a weight of two tons on its back. 



As regards the general bearing of the character 

 of the Fauna of the Island on its previous Physical 

 History, we may regard it without proceeding further 

 through the lower groups of animals, as a proposition 

 fully established by the facts that have been already 

 brought forward, that Madagascar produces many 

 striking types that are peculiar to ifc, and that many 

 striking and widely spread and copiously represented 

 types which inhabit the neighbouring continent are 

 absent ; and that, as a whole, the Fauna possesses the 

 stamp of a remarkable individuality of character, such 

 as can only be explained by supposing it to bo the 

 result of long insulation. 



A few notes upon four species of Lemurs from a 

 paper by George A. Shaw — specimens of these wero 

 taken alive to England in 1878. 



1. The King-Tailed Lemur {Lemur Gatha, L.) As 

 far as my experience of seven years goes, (writes 

 Mr Shaw), these Lemurs are found only in the South 

 and S. West borders of the Betsileo Province of Ma- 

 dagascar. This Province is about 150 miles in length, 

 by 50 or 60 in width, and is situated on the central 

 table-lands about 100 to 250 miles S. of Antananarivo, 

 the capital. A forest extends along the whole Eastern 

 side of this Province, fringing the table-land, and 

 covering all the slopes down into the low land border- 

 ing the sea ; but nowhere in these forests have the 



