A REMARKABLE MAMMAL 183 



which can be drawn across them from one side. The 

 large and rounded ears, which are inclined backwards, 

 are naked and dotted with a number of small tubercles. 

 The blackish brown hair all over the body is long and 

 coarse, but becomes longer still on the long and bushy 

 tail. Nothing very remarkable exists in the structure of 

 the hind-limbs, which somewhat exceed the front pair in 

 length ; but the forepaws, or hands, which are unusually 

 elongated, display a most strange peculiarity. As in lemurs 

 generally, the thumb is capable of being opposed to the 

 index finger, which is short ; the latter, together with 

 the fourth and fifth digits, being of normal thickness and 

 provided with long compressed and pointed claws. The 

 third or middle finger, as is beautifully shown in the 

 figure, is, however, quite unlike the others, being extremely 

 thin and spider-like. Of its use, mention will be made 

 later. 



This attenuated middle finger is one of two marked 

 peculiarities whereby the aye-aye differs so strangely from 

 its relatives the lemurs. Its other peculiarity is to be 

 found in its dentition. Ordinary lemurs, it may be observed, 

 have from thirty-two to thirty-six teeth ; the incisor or front 

 teeth, although presenting certain peculiarities of form, 

 agreeing numerically with those of monkeys and man in most 

 cases. In the aye-aye, however, there are only eighteen 

 teeth, all told ; the incisors being reduced to a single pair in 

 each jaw, the canines, or tusks, wanting, and the cheek-teeth, 

 or grinders, comprising four pairs in the upper and three 

 in the lower jaw. Nor is this all, for the incisors, which 

 grow throughout life, are large somewhat chisel-like 

 teeth, recalling in many respects those of a beaver or 

 other rodent, although with peculiarities of their own 

 which render them easily distinguishable from those of all 



