548 THE AYE-AYE CHAP. 
slender. The index finger is much as in Nycticebus. The colour, 
too, is not widely different, being 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 habits 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 Nachtrieb from the Philippines. The 
tail is rudimentary ; there are two upper incisors, but as many as 
six lower. It is doubtful 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. x 3} 
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 Sciwrus 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, 
