THE BUSH BABY 13 



its circumference : its hold did not relax for some 

 time, when it began to slide slowly down the glass 

 surface. Unfortunately all the galagoes which I 

 examined for the purpose of this book were too 

 wild to be handled, so that it was not possible to 

 demonstrate the existence of suctorial discs at the 

 ends of the toes : but a careful scrutiny of the 

 allied tarsier of Celebes (from a specimen preserved 

 in the Manchester Museum) seems to indicate that 

 the digits of the bush baby may be provided with 

 such structures. Although able to clear several 

 feet at a single bound, the bush baby alights 

 gracefully and without noise : the long tail probably 

 acts as a counterpoise to the head and body during 

 these aerial gymnastics. When on the ground 

 galagoes sit in an upright position. They can leap 

 six feet or more u from a stand : " one individual 

 which I recently saw could thus easily reach a 

 horizontal bar situated high above its head. When 

 disturbed, these animals make a low, chattering 

 noise, and Sir Andrew Smith states that the bush 

 baby can grimace like a monkey. 



These small galagoes are usually found in pairs, 

 and are frequently taken alive by the bush-veld 

 Boers ; when tame they make charming pets. 

 Many examples have been brought to England, 

 and no less than seven specimens were exhibited 

 in the London Zoological Gardens between 1866 

 and 1879. In captivity the bush baby may be fed 



