LORIS GRACILIS. 15 



eastern portion of Bengal, Rungpore, Dacca, &c. It keeps to the forests, 

 and is quite nocturnal in its habits, sleeping in the day-time in holes of 

 trees, and coming forth at night to feed on leaves and shoots of trees, 

 fruit, and also, it is said, insects and small birds. 



Sir W. Jones, in 4th Vol. Asiatic Researches, gives an interesting 

 account of one kept in captivity by him. It is stated to sleep with its 

 head downwards, suspended by the hooked claw of the thumb of the hind- 

 feet. It closes its eyelids diagonally, the lower one having most motion. 

 The intestines of one examined were 64 inches long j and the ccacum 3 J 

 inches. 



Gen. LORIS, Schreber. 



Body and limbs slender ; no tail ; eyes, very large, almost contiguous ; 

 nose, acute, slightly ascending ; otherwise as in Nycticebus. 



11. Loris gracilis. 



Lemur apud SHAW. L. ceylonicus, FISCHER. BLYTH, Cat. 48. 

 Tevangar, Tarn. Dewantsi-pilli, Tel. Sloth of Europeans in Madras, &c. 



THE SLENDER LEMUR. 



Descr. Above of a grayish rufescent colour ; beneath, the same but 

 paler ; a white triangular spot on the forehead extending down the nose ; 

 fur, short, dense and soft ; ears, thin, rounded. 



Length of one, about 8 inches j arm 5 ; leg, 5 J. 



I believe that this curious little animal is found in most of the forests 

 of Southern India, but it is difficult to find owing to its small size and 

 nocturnal habits, and it generally escapes the observation of travellers. 

 It does not appear to be common, or at all events well known in the 

 Malabar Coast, yet I have heard of it near there. It is, however, very 

 abundant in the forests of the Eastern Ghats, and large numbers are 

 brought alive at times to the Madras market, their eyes being a highly- 

 esteemed remedy for certain diseases of the eyes among the Tamul 

 doctors. 



This lemur is of course quite nocturnal, and it is said to eat fruit, young 

 leaves, insects, eggs, and young birds. In confinement it will eat boiled 

 rice, plantains, honey, or syrup ; and also, it is stated, raw meat. Though 

 slow in its motions in general, it can make its way along a branch with 

 considerable activity, and its grasp is very tenacious. Several made their 

 escape one night from my house in Fort St. George in 1845, and found 



