L E M U It. 



THE RED LEMUR (L. niber} is the species figured 

 at the top of the plate LEMURS. It is, generally 

 speaking, all over of a maroon red colour, with the 

 exception of the hands, the tail, the head, the insides 

 of the legs, and the belly, and these are black. There 

 is also a half collar of white on the upper part of the 

 neck. The first good representation which was given 

 of this lemur was a drawing made by Commercon, 

 during his residence in Madagascar, and to whom we 

 are indebted for many valuable truths in the zoology 

 of that part of the world ; but in consequence of his 

 drawing not being accompanied by any description 

 in writing, it was neglected until the return of Peron 

 from the Southern Seas, who brought with him a 

 stuffed skin of the animal. There was also a speci- 

 men, a female, in the collection of Mr. Bullock, in 

 which the colours were remarkably beautiful, the 

 whole upper part being rich maroon, and the under 

 part, including the face and the tail, jet black ; the 

 collar had a greyish tinge, and a spot of the same 

 colour marked the middle of each foot. There is 

 every reason to believe, however, that the colour is 

 subject to some variation ; and the female has the 

 white markings less distinct and pure than ihe male, 

 which has sometimes caused it to be considered as a 

 different species. It measures rather more than a 

 foot from the back of the head to the origin of the 

 tail, and stands nearly the same height, taken to the 

 most elevated part of the back. The tail is more 

 than a foot and a half in length, and, though not pre- 

 hensile, has considerable power of motion. It is 

 very easily tamed, and of the most gentle and inoffen- 

 sive disposition. In its waking hours it is remarkably 

 nimble in its motions ; but it passes the greater part 

 of the day in a state of complete repose, during which 

 it is rolled up, with the head placed between the feet, 

 and the tail brought over. From this habit of indo- 

 lence during the daylight, it is not so interesting in a 

 collection as one might, from its gentleness and 

 docility, be led to suppose. Indeed it is only in 

 their own native localities that those animals which 

 are local and peculiar can be seen to proper advan- 

 tage ; and therefore, in order to form an adequate 

 idea of the lemur, it is necessary to form some idea 

 of a Madagascar forest, as the one is somewhat out 

 of place without the other. The forests of Mada- 

 gascar cover the greater part of the surface of the 

 country, except where they have been cleared by 

 artificial means. Many of them belong to the palm 

 family, grow in the marshy grounds, and produce 

 abundance of fruit ; and the number of trees furnish- 

 ing valuable timber and dye stuffs, and resins or gums 

 of various kinds, is very great. These forests grow 

 M ith great rapidity, and hide the country down to the 

 water's edge ; and as is the case in most warm climates 

 where the rains are heavy, extensive salt marshes 

 are formed by banks, which are thrown up by the 

 conflicting actions of the river floods, and the sea ; 

 but in general the low grounds are so damp that the 

 dry season tells much less severely upon them than 

 it does in most other countries ; and the consequence is, 

 that vegetation is in a state of perpetual growth ; and 

 as it is the habit of tropical trees to bear fruit over 

 the greater part of the year, such animals as the 

 lemurs never suffer much from scarcity of food ; and 

 the short time in which their great activity finds their 

 supply is sufficient to account for the indolence of 

 their habits during the greater part of their time, for 

 it is a law in the economy of most animals that all 



those which can find sufficient food in a short time, 

 either from their own superior powers, from tho 

 abundance of the food, or from both, pass much of 

 their time in a state of rest or indolence. 



WHITE-FRONTED LEMUR, (L. albifrons). This 

 species is of a reddish-brown colour in the upper part 

 generally, with grey on the hind part of the head and 

 the shoulders. The face as high as the eyes is black 

 in both sexes ; but in the male a band of white crosses 

 the upper part of it, though this band does not exist 

 in the female. The female has, however, those parts 

 grey which are white in the male. Of the habits of 

 this species (and it may be said of all the species), 

 very little is known in a state of nature ; and as we 

 have already mentioned, no satisfactory conclusion 

 can be drawn from specimens kept in a state of 

 confinement. One which was kept in the French 

 Museum brought forth a young one. Until it was 

 produced, the mother was very gentle and familiar, 

 fawning on the visitors, licking their hands, and 

 showing many of the attentions of a dog. But no 

 sooner was the young one produced than it occupied 

 and even absorbed the greater part of her attention ; 

 and she became retiring and suspicious, and offered 

 to attack those who approached her, especially if 

 they attempted to touch the young one. As it grew 

 up, however, her suspicions abated : and by the time 

 that the young one was capable of finding its own 

 food, which was at about the end of three months, 

 all the gentleness and familiarity of the mother's cha- 

 racter returned ; clearly showing that the temporary 

 change which had taken place in her disposition 

 arose solely from affection for her young one, and 

 not from any disposition to do mischief. The affec- 

 tion on the part of the young one was reciprocal ; for 

 on the least cause of disturbance, or even noise, it ran 

 to its mother, and endeavoured to conceal itself in 

 her fur. 



THE Mococo OF BUFFON (. calta) is one of tho 

 most beautiful species of the genus, and also one of 

 the best defined. The epithet cota, which is given 

 to it partly on the supposition of its tongue being 

 rough like the tongue of a cat, is not correct how- 

 ever ; for it is a smooth-tongued animal, and one 

 which is so gentle and affectionate in its manners 

 that it courts rather than shuns the society of human 

 beings. The fur is reddish ash on the upper part, 

 ash coloured on the flanks, and white on the under 

 part; and the tail is beautifully annulated with puro 

 white and black. There is a peculiarity in the struc- 

 ture of the hand of this animal, and partially also in 

 most of the genus. The naked palm extends, though 

 concealed in part by the hair on the upper surface, 

 along the under surface, nearly midway to the appa- 

 rent length of the fore arm ; and thus the hand or 

 paw becomes a sort of double grasping instrument, 

 and can either hold on like a hook or act with the 

 thumb opposed to the fingers, as necessity may re- 

 quire. Thus it is one of the most efficient instru- 

 ments among the branches of a tree that can well be 

 supposed, and enables the animal to climb over flexi- 

 ble leaves which could not be easily accomplished 

 by means of hands of the common structure. Nor is 

 it unworthy of remark, that in this formation of the 

 hand there is a very considerable approximation to 

 the mode of action, though not exactly to the form, 

 of instrument, of the sloths. This lemur, as well as 

 some others, gets the name of mongou, which is 

 indeed generally bestowed upon all those which have 



