260 THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 



length, others may reach as much as 15 inches, or even more. Its propor- 

 tions are thick and clumsy; the head being broad and flat, with a slightly 

 projecting and pointed muzzle. The large eyes are perfectly circular, and 

 their pupils can be completely closed by the gradual contraction of the iris, 

 which open from above and below, so that when the pupil is half concealed 

 it takes the form of a transverse slit. The ears are short, rounded, and 

 partly buried in the fur; and are, thus, very different from those of the 

 galagos. The hind-limbs are only slightly longer than the others. With 

 the exception of the muzzle and the hands and feet, the whole of the body 

 is covered with a thick coat of very close and somewhat long woolly fur. 



In the more common and larger variety, the color of the fur is ashy-grey 

 above, tending to become silvery along the sides of the back, the under-parts 

 being lighter, and the rump often having a tinge of red. The stripe on the 

 back is chestnut-colored, and stops short at the hinder part of the crown of 

 the head. The eyes are, however, surrounded by dark rims; between which 

 is the white streak extending upwards from the nose. The ears, together 

 with a small surrounding area, are brown. 



The slow loris is found over a large area in the countries lying to the east- 

 ward of the Bay of Bengal. It occurs on the northeast frontier of India in 

 the provinces of Sylhet and Assam, whence it extends southwards into 

 Burma, Tenasserim, and the Malay Peninsula; while it is also found in Siam 

 and Cochin China, and the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. 



Its food consists of leaves and young shoots of trees, as well as fruits, 

 various kinds of insects, birds, and their eggs. It has been observed to 

 stand nearly erect upon its feet, and from this advantageous position pounce 

 upon an insect. It is generally silent, althoug-h sometimes uttering a low 

 crackling sound; but when enraged, and especially if about to bite, it gives a 

 kind of fierce growl. This animal is tolerably common in the Tenasserim 

 provinces and Arakan; but, being strictly nightly in its habits, is seldom seen. 

 It inhabits the densest forests, and never by choice leaves the trees. Its 

 movements are slow, but it climbs readily, and grasps with great tenacity. 

 If placed on the ground, it can proceed, if frightened, in a wavering kind of 

 trot, the limbs placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled up in a ball, its head 

 and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up at the dusk of evening to 

 commence its nocturnal rambles. The female bears but one young at a 

 time. Many accounts have been published of the habits of the slow loris in 

 confinement. While these creatures are apt to be fierce when first captured, 



