THE LORIS. 



89 



small fifth molar in the upper jaw. The 



dental formula is 



= 36. 



3 i 2 ; 3 



These little creatures live in pairs, are 

 most frequently to be met with in the mimosa 

 or gum-acacia forests, sleep by day with the 

 head squeezed in between the front legs and 



Fig. 33. The Common Galago (Ololicnus Galago). 



the long tail wrapped round, but by night are 

 extremely lively and agile while they go 

 hunting after their food, which consists 

 essentially of insects, small birds, and mice, 

 to which sweet fruits and juices are some- 

 times added as a seasoning. The accounts of 

 observers are not quite in harmony with one 

 another; perhaps in consequence of the fact 

 that the habits of separate species inhabiting 

 different districts are not quite the same. 

 While the galagos living in West Africa 

 are described as persistent day-sleepers and 

 harmless fruit and gum eaters, it is reported 



of their Eastern kindred, on the contrary, 

 that though they do not take to flight in the 

 presence of man, they are roused from their 

 slumbers even by the sound of approaching 

 footsteps, that they climb and jump about 

 among the trees with great agility and 

 vivacity, and that by night they go ravaging 

 like true beasts of prey among insects and 

 other animals of small size. In Zanzibar 

 the Komba (Otolicmts agisymbanus] is said 

 frequently to make itself intoxicated with 

 palm wine, so that it falls from the tree and 

 gets caught. The little creatures are easily 

 tamed, become confiding and affectionate, and 

 delight their owners by their lively move- 

 ments and the exhibition of their powers of 

 climbing and leaping, while moreover they 

 repay the attention bestowed upon them by 

 the assiduity with which by night they hunt 

 after all sorts of noxious vermin, which are 

 so abundant in the tropics, especially after 

 cockroaches and mice. The species repre- 

 sented in fig. 33, the Galago proper (Oto- 

 licnus Galago), appears to range over the 

 whole of tropical Africa, It has a woolly 

 fur, of a sort of gray fawn-colour on the 

 back, whitish beneath, and flesh-coloured 

 ears. 



THE EAST INDIAN PROSIMIANS. 



The Loris (Lorisida). 



The members of this family are forms 

 with pointed snouts, large eyes, slender 

 bodies, long thin limbs, short fore-finger, and 

 rudimentary tail, or no tail at all. 



They correspond to the African pottos, and 

 form only a single genus (Stenops or Loris), 

 although the plumper species have been 

 separated by some under the name of Nycti- 

 cebus. They are small animals, for the 

 Plump Loris (Stcnops or Nycticebus tardi- 

 gradiis), the largest species, attains only a 

 length of 14 inches. In their habits they are 



altogether nocturnal, and they live wholly on 



12 



