68 ALLEN'S NATURALIST'S LIBRARY. 



as they may capture. Like the Howlers of S. America and 

 the Gibbons of the East Indies, they are very noisy. Their 

 agility is wonderfully great, and is displayed chiefly in the 

 evening. During the brighter hours of the day they sit somno- 

 lent, either alone with their heads buried between their arms, 

 their tail coiled round the neck, or in twos or threes embrac- 

 ing each other with their arms. In walking they use their fore- 

 limbs less as hands, and more as feet than do the members of 

 the next family the Indrisince both when on the ground, as 

 well as when climbing among the trees. 



I. THE RUFFED LEMUR. LEMUR VARIUS. 



Lemur macaco, var. Schreber, Saugeth., p. 142, pi. 40 B (1775)- 

 Lemur macaco et Z. ruber, Geoffr., Ann. Mus, xix., p. 159 



(1812). 



Lemur varius, Is. Geoffr., Cat. Meth. Primates, p. 71, no. 2 

 (1851) ; Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii., p. 301 (1876); Milne- 

 Edwards et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., Atlas, 

 pis. 123-129 (1690). 



(Plate VII.} 



Characters. Face and top of head black ; a stripe over the 

 eyes, ridge of nose and tip of nostrils, creamy-white ; a patch 

 on the shoulder, the inside of the fore-legs, the inner surface 

 of body, a patch on the front of the thighs, the inner side of 

 the limbs, and the feet, black ; tail black, washed with white 

 on the upper surface ; rest of body creamy-white. 



The Ruffed or Variable Lemur derives its name from the 

 remarkable variability of its external markings : so much is 

 this the case, indeed, that not a few of them have been de- 

 scribed as distinct species. This variability appears to be 

 entirely individual, and is by no means constant. The Black- 



