140 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



Mongoose Lemur 



LEMUR MONGOZ MONGOZ Linnaeus 



[Lemur] Mongoz Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 12, vol. 1, p. 44, 1766. (Based upon 

 the "Mongooz" of Edwards (1758, p. 12); type locality, "Madagascar.") 



SYNONYMS : Lemur nigrijrons, L. albimanus, and L. anjuanensis of fi. Geoffroy- 

 Saint-Hilaire (1812) ; Prosimia micromongoz, P. bugi, P. brissonii, and 

 P. ocularis of Lesson (1840) ; Lemur cuvieri Fitzinger (1870) ; Propithecus 

 brissonianus J. E. Gray (1870). 



FIGS.: Edwards, 1758, pt. 1, pi. 216; Schreber, Saugthiere, vol. 1, pis. 39 B, 42 

 ("Lemur Simia-Sciurus") , 1774; Audebert, 1800, Makis, pi. l re ; Geoffrey 

 and Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm., livr. 2, pi. 11, 1819, livr. 30, pi. 176, 1821; 

 Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1871, pi. 16; Milne Edwards and Grandidier, 

 1890, pis. 156, 157, 162, 163, 164, 165 (figs. 1, 2); Elliot, 1913, vol. 1, pi. 4, 

 lower fig. ("Lemur nigrijrons"). 



In 1915 this lemur was reported as found now and then in the 

 forests of northwestern Madagascar, but as apparently nowhere 

 common (Kaudern, 1915, p. 43). Concerning its present numerical 

 status on certain islands of the Comoro group we have no in- 

 formation. 



Size less than that of a small cat; area about eyes and tip of 

 nose black ; area beneath eyes white ; upper parts dark brownish ash 

 color; under parts white; tail long (Edwards, 1758, pt. 1, p. 12). 

 A white- and a red-cheeked phase, generally sex-linked ; anal region 

 almost naked. "In the red-cheeked phase there is not the black 

 crown-patch found in the male of L. m. coronatus, whereas in the 

 white-cheeked phase the colour of the cheeks is brighter than in the 

 female of L. m. coronatus, and a large black or blackish crown- 

 patch developed which is absent in that race. The tail is grey or 

 blackish in both sexes in mongoz; in coronatus it is reddish in the 

 female. As far as my experience goes the males invariably have 

 red and the females white cheeks in all specimens from Anjouan 

 and Moheli, Comoro Island [s]." (Schwarz, 1931, pp. 414-415.) 



"This race is found on the Comoro Islands, Anjouan and Moheli, 

 but not on Mayotte .... On the mainland of Madagascar this 

 form is found on the south bank of the Betsiboka River, which it 

 ascends up to its head-waters." Specimens are recorded from: 

 Anjouan and Moheli Islands; Antema, Bay of Bombetoka, S. bank; 

 and Ambatondrazaka, south of Lake Alaotra. (Schwarz, 1931, 

 p. 416.) 



Lorenz-Liburnau (1898, pp. 450-451) records 14 specimens (as 

 L. albimanus} from Kandani, and 5 from Antema, on the south side 

 of the Bay of Bombetoka. 



G. M. Allen (1918, p. 515) records a specimen from Didy, soufh 

 of Lake Alaotra. 



Petit (1931, p. 560) records a specimen from Ambongo, north- 

 western Madagascar. 



