LKMNA. 



LEMURID^E. 



383 



LEMNA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural order Aracea, 

 and the sub-order Lemnete. It has a 2-flowered membraneous urceolate 

 spathe ; the male flowers consist of 2 stamens ; the fruit is reticular 

 and indehiscent ; the fronds are without distinction of stems or leaves ; 

 the flowers appear just below the margin of the frond. Several 

 species have been described. They are all inhabitants of stagnant 

 waters, and are known familiarly by the name of Duck- Weeds. The 

 following are the British species : L. trisulca, with lanceolate fronds ; 

 L. minor, with compressed obovate fronds ; L. polyrhiza, with 

 roundish-obovate compressed fronds; L. gibba, with obovate hemi- 

 spherical fronds. (Babington, Manual of British Botany.) 



LEMNIAN EARTH, occurs in the Isle of Lemnos, whence its 

 name. It is found massive. Fracture earthy. Dull. Has a meagre 

 feeL Soft. Opaque. Colour grayish or yellowish-white. Falls to 

 pieces when put into water. It was formerly used in medicine under 

 the name of Terra Siyillata. According to Klaproth it consists of 



Silica 66-0 



Alumina 14\"> 



Oxide of Iron 6'0 



Soda 3-5 



Water 8'5 



Traces of Lime, Magnesia, and Loss . . . 1'5 



100-0 



LEMON. [CIIRCS.] 

 LEMUR. [LEMCRID*.] 



LEMU'RID^E, a family of Animals belonging to the Qu.adrv.mana. 

 Linmeus, in bis ' Characteres Mammalium,' defines Lemur, the third 

 genus of hia Primatet, thus " Denies primores inferiores 6." In the 

 body of the work (' Syst. Nat.') he characterises the genus as follows : 

 Upper incisors (primores) 4 ; the intermediate ones remote ; lower 

 incisors 6, longer, prominent (porrecti), compressed, parallel, and 

 approximate. Canines (laniarii) solitary, approximate. Molars 

 numerous (plures), sublobate, the anterior ones longer and more 

 acute. The genus consists of Lemur tardigradns, L. Monyu:, 

 L. Macaco, L. Cat/a, and L. volant. To these species Gmelin added 

 L. Indri, L. Potto, L. murinut, L. bicolor, and L. laniger. 



Cuvier remarks that the Makis (Lemur, Linn.) comprehend, according 

 to Linntcus, all the Qundru.rn.ana which have, in the one or the other 

 jaw, incisors which differ in number from four, or at least otherwise 

 directed than in the Monkeys (Singes). This negative character, 

 Cuvier observes, could not fail of embracing considerably different 

 beings, and did not even collect all those which ought to be together. 

 He goes on to notice that M. Qeoffroy has established in this genus 

 many divisions much better characterised. These animals have all 

 the four thumbs well developed and opposable, and the first hind 

 finger or toe armed with a pointed and raised nail or claw, whilst all 

 the other nails are flat. Their fur is woolly ; their teeth begin to 

 exhibit pointed tubercles fitting into each other (engrenant les uns 

 dans les autres), as in the Intectivora. The following groups are 

 adopted by Cuvier : 



1. The Makis, or Macaucos, properly so called, Lemur. 



2. The Indris, Lichanotui, Illiger. 



3. The Loris group (Slow Lemurs, Stenopi, Illiger). 



4. The Oalagos, Otolicnut, Illiger. 

 6. The Tarsiers. Tartiut- 



Dr. J. E. Gray arranges the Lemuridce as the third family (Quadru- 

 pedoid) of the order Primate* (Linn.), and he thus characterises the 

 family : 



Grinders 6 6 above, 5 5 below; nostrils terminal; extremities 

 free ; first finger of the hind feet armed with recurved claws. 



t Head long ; grinders blunt. 



1. Lcmurina: genus Lemur, Linn. 2. Lichanotina : genera fndrit, 

 Lacep. ; Lichanotit (Lichanotui), 111. 



ft Head round. 



3. Loridina : genera Lorii, Geoff. ; Nyalicebui (Nyctic.ebut), Geoff. 

 4. Galagonina : genera Otolicnut (Otolicnut), I1L ; Galago, Adams ; 

 Cheirogallut (Cheirorjalevx), Geoff. 5. Titrtina : genus Tarsiut. 6. Cheir- 

 omina : genus Cheiromyn, Cuv. 



Mr. Swainson makes the Lemurida }ii third family of Qaadruinana, 

 with the following characters : 



form approaching that of quadrupeds; cutting teeth, ^ or g-; 



canine, . I; grinders, - - or - , obtusely tubercular; head 



1 1 5 8 4 4 



long, triangular; nostrils terminal j ears generally concealed, very 

 small. 



The following genera are comprised by the author last mentioned 

 under this family : Lemur, Linn. ; Indrii, Lacdp. ; Lichanotut, 111. ; 

 Scarta, Sw. ; Stenopi, 111. ; Otolicnut, Geoff; Cephalopach.ua (Tarsiut 

 JBancanut, Horsf.) ; Tartiut, Storr; Aotet, Humboldt; Galeopithecut, 

 Pallaa ; C heirogaleut, Geoff. 



The author of 'The Natural History of Monkeys, Lemurs, and 

 OpoMuma ' (' Library of Entertaining Knowledge,' vol. xlii.) divides 

 the Mammals with opposable thumbs into three sections, like Storr ; 



and the author's arrangement is almost the same, differing only in the 

 removal of the Simiadce or Prosimia, as Storr calls them, from the 

 second to the third section in consequence of observations made 

 since Storr's time. The author observes that the coiucidence is the 

 more remarkable inasmuch as the arrangement of Storr was unknown 

 to him till long after the publication of his own views. [CHEIROPODA.] 

 The author makes his second section of Cheiropeds consist of the 

 Quadrumana, or those which have opposable thumbs on both fore and 

 hind hands ; and he divides the section into two sub-divisions, the 

 first consisting of the Simice (with anthropoid teeth), and the second 

 of the Lemuridce (with abnormal teeth). The genera arranged by 

 him under this last sub-division are Lkkanotus, Propithecut, Lemur, 

 Otolicnus, Cheirogaleus, Stenops, Taraius, C/teiromys and Galeopithecua. 



Dr. J. E. Gray's sub-family Lemurina contains the true Lemurs, or 

 Macaucos. 



The genus Lemur, properly so called, is thus characterised : 



Incisors, _ 

 6 



canines, ; molars, = 32. 



1 1 4 4 



Teeth of Lemur, more than one-third larger than nature. F. Curler. 



M. Geoffroy maintains that the number of incisors in both jaws is 

 equal, coinciding With the number in the Monkeys, the two outermost 

 of the six, which are larger than the rest, being, according to him, 

 the true canines j while the teeth commonly called canines are, in his 

 opinion, only the first series of molars. "This conjecture," says 

 Mr. Bennett, " unquestionably derives considerable strength from the 

 fact that when the animal closes its mouth the supposed canines of 

 the lower jaw pass behind those of the upper, a position directly con- 

 trary to that which they uniformly assume in every other animal that 

 is furnished with that kind of teeth." 



The muzzle is very pointed ; the tail very long, the fur woolly and 

 soft, and there are two pectoral mamma}. The structure of the hands 

 and nails is mentioned above. (Cuvier's description of the Makis.) 



" The whole of the genus thus characterised," writes Mr. Bennett 

 in his ' Tower Menagerie,' " are natives of Madagascar, and of two or 

 three of the smaller islands in its immediate vicinity. They appear 

 to occupy in that remarkable and very imperfectly-known country 

 the place of the Monkeys, none of which have yet been detected 

 within its precincts. They are said to live in numerous troops upon 

 the trees, and to feed upon fruit and insects ; but their habits in a 

 state of nature have not yet been observed with sufficient accuracy 

 to enable us to form any clear idea of their mode of existence. In 

 captivity they are particularly tame and good-tempered, fond of being 

 noticed, delighting in motion, and leaping with surprising agility. 

 They are however in some degree nocturnal, and when undisturbed 

 pass a considerable portion of the day in sleep. If alone they roll 

 themselves up in the form of a ball, and wind their long tail in a very 

 curious manner round their body, apparently for the purpose of 

 keeping themselves warm, for they are naturally chilly, and delight in 

 basking in the rays of the sun, ^or in keeping as close as'possible to 

 the fire. When two of them are confined together they interlace 

 their limbs and tails after a singular fashion, and placing their heads 



