THE SLOW-LORIS. 35 



brown ; circle round the eyes dark brown ; a white line down the 

 nose between the eyes ; oral patch, including the ears, brown. 



The Slow-Loris varies greatly in size and colour in the 

 different regions it inhabits, and its varieties have been recog- 

 nised by many naturalists as distinct species. 



Every shade of colour occurs among specimens from different 

 habitats. The colour varies between rufescent grey, or greyish- 

 rufous, or white (with a brown tinge showing through from 

 below) and silvery grey. The dorsal stripe varies from rufous 

 to dull grey or even black, expanding out, or not, on the 

 crown of the head, arms, and cheeks, bifurcating to the orbital 

 rings and ear-patches, or to one or other only. Sometimes the 

 dorsal stripe and face- markings are wanting altogether. Under 

 side varying from pale rufescent grey to light rufous or dull 

 grey. Length of head and body varying from 1 2 ^ to 1 6 

 inches. 



"It is an interesting fact," observes St. George Mivart, "that 

 as far as concerns the skull and dentition, the Asiatic Nycticebus 

 far more resembles the African Perodicticus than it does its 

 Oriental neighbour Loris." 



Distribution. The Slow-Loris has a comparatively wide and 

 interrupted range. It is common in the dense mountain 

 forests of Assam and Burma (where it has received the dis- 

 tinctive appellation of N. bengalensis\ as well as in Tenasserim 

 and the Malayan Peninsula. It has also been obtained in 

 Siam and Cochin-China, whence it has been described as 

 a distinct species (N. cinereus), from its silvery-grey fur ; while 

 it also occurs somewhat reduced in size and often (but not 

 invariably) without the upper incisor teeth in the islands of 

 Sumatra, Java, and Borneo with its surrounding islet groups, 



D 2 



