232 NEIGHBORS WITH CLA WS AND HOOFS. 



6. Professor Owen studied an aye-aye which he held 

 in captivity, and, after feeding it fruits, observed its pro- 

 pensity to gnaw the sides of the cage. He introduced a 



piece of worm-eat- 

 en wood into the 

 cage, and, of the 

 actions of the ani- 

 mal, says : " Pres- 

 ently he came 10 

 one of the worm- 

 eaten branches, 

 which he began 

 to examine most 

 attentively, and, 

 bending forward 

 his ears, and ap- 

 plying his nose to 

 the bark, he rap- 

 idly tapped the 

 surface with his 

 second finger, as 

 a woodpecker taps 



The Aye-Aye. a tree, from time 



to time inserting 



the end of his finger into the hole. At length he came to 

 a part of the branch which gave out an interesting sound, 

 and began to tear with his strong teeth. He rapidly 

 stripped off the bark, cut into the wood, and exposed the 

 nest of the grub, which he daintily picked out, and con- 

 veyed the luscious morsel to his mouth." 



7. The flying-cat, of the East Indian Islands, appears 

 to cousin closely with the bat. There are no thumbs on 

 any of its four limbs, nor are its fingers long, like those 

 of the bat. But its long and slender limbs are connecter 1 



