THE TEETH OF PRIMATES. 403 



appears to consist of incisors only, or of incisors and canines ; 

 though the absence of observed molars may be due to the 

 fact that they are, as in Molossus, shed very early. 



It has, near to the front of the upper jaw, six teeth, each 

 of which is very long and slender, and has a strongl}- hooked 

 point : it has been suggested that these feeble hooked teeth 

 may assist it in holding on to the mother. 



THE TEETH OF PRIMATES. 



The order Primates embraces Man, Monkeys, and the 



Some naturalists have been disposed to separate the Lemurida3 

 from the rest of the Primates, on the ground that some Lemurs 

 approximate rather closely to the Iiisectivora, while again the order 

 Insectivora contains some forms which recall the Lemurs. 



But although the Lemuridog are undoubtedly inferior to the 

 Monkeys, and stand apart from them more widely than do the 

 Monkeys from Man, most authors now place them in the order 

 Primates, which is to be divided as follows : _ 



( Lemuridaj. Lemurs. 



Primates < Simiada3. Old and new world Monkeys. 



( Anthropidfe. Man. 



Lenmridce. The Lemurs for the most part are found in 

 Madagascar, and to a less extent on the mainland of Africa 

 and in southern Asia. In their dentition, just as in other 

 characters, they differ somewhat from the true monkeys, 

 though, on account of there being several very aberrant in 

 form, it is difficult to give any general account of them. 

 Most of them have the upper incisors very small, and widely 

 separated from one another ; in the lower jaw these are 

 antagonised by six long, thin, narrow procumbent teeth, 

 generally regarded as being two pairs of incisors and the lower 

 canines : in both upper and lower jaws the next tooth is 

 large and pointed like a canine, but the lower caniniforin 

 tooth bites behind the upper, and therefore is held not to 



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