LEMURID. /. 



693 



FIG. 330. The Slender Lori* (Loris gracilis). From Blanford, 

 Mammalia of British India, p. 4". 



long thin body, long, angularly bent, slender limbs, and no tail. 



Its habits, according to Mr. W. T. Blanford, 1 are "very similar 



to those of 



Nycticebus tardi- 



gradus, except 



that the Slender 



Loris is rather 



quicker in its 



movements, 



though still slow 



in general. Like 



its ally, it is 



purely nocturnal 



and arboreal, 



living upon 



shoots and young 



leaves, insects, 



birds' eggs, birds, 



and lizards. It 



is said to be very 



fond of honey or 



syrup. It sleeps 



rolled up in a 



ball with its head between its legs, grasping its perch with its arms." 



B. Index fingers reduced to a mere tubercle without nail. Both 

 the known species are from West Africa. 



Perodidicus. 2 A short tail, about a third of the length of the 

 trunk. Two or three of the anterior dorsal vertebrae have very 

 long slender spinous processes which in the living animal project 

 beyond the general level of the skin, forming distinct conical pro- 

 minences, covered only by an exceedingly thin and naked integu- 

 ment. The Potto, P. potto, is one of the oldest known members of 

 the lemuroid group, having been described in 1705 by Bosnian, 

 who met with it in his voyage to Guinea. It was, however, lost 

 sight of until 1825, Avhen it was re-discovered in Sierra Leone, and 

 fully described by Bennett in 1830 under the name of Perodicticus 

 geoffroyi. Bennett's generic name has been retained, but the specific 

 name bestowed by Gmelin, adopted from Bosnian, has been restored. 

 It is also found in the Gaboon. It is strictly nocturnal, and slower 

 in its movements even than Nycticebus tardigradus, which otherwise 

 it much resembles in its habits. 



A second species, the Awantibo (P. calabarensis), rather smaller 

 and more delicately made, with smaller hands and feet and rudi- 

 mentary tail, constitutes the genus Ardocelnis of Gray. It is found 



1 Mammalia of British India, p. 48 (1888). 

 2 Bennett, Proc. Zool. Soc. 1839, p. 109. 



