THE RING-TAILED LEMUR 15 



The prosimian race has, however, one enemy to 

 fear; deep in the brake lurks the terrible fossa 

 (Cryptoprocta ferox), a long lanky beast about twice 

 as big as a cat, with a tawny coat and a long 

 cylindrical tail. The only carnivore of any size 

 inhabiting Madagascar, it is most interesting evolu- 

 tionally, being related both to the true cats and to 

 the civets, having retractile claws like the former, 

 but plantigrade feet like the latter, animals. Lurid 

 stories current regarding its ferocity, even towards 

 man, are perhaps tinged with a little French vivacity 

 of imagination ; but its bloodthirstiness towards its 

 prey can well be credited. The fossa was described 

 and figured by Mr. Bennett in Vol. I. of the Transac- 

 tions of the Zoological Society, and the actual 

 specimen was long preserved in the museum at 

 Bruton Street ; since Mr. Bennett published notes 

 on its anatomy this animal was probably sent over 

 in alcohol. It had been obtained from the interior 

 of Southern Madagascar by Mr. Telfair, the Presi- 

 dent of the Natural History Society of Mauritius. 

 The animal was a young female ; Mr. Telfair kept 

 it alive for some months, and on its death presented 

 it to the Zoological Society. In recent years a 

 writer has vividly described how in travelling by 

 railway through Madagascar he had a brief view of a 

 fossa standing on the metals ; as the train approached 

 it bounded off into the jungle. But little is known 

 about this animal, though a specimen was living in the 



