LEMURS. 11 



than those we have hitherto mentioned ; they are for the most part 

 natives of Madagascar, although a few aberrant members of the 

 group are found in Africa and Southern Asia. They are invariably 

 arboreal in their habits, with generally long, bushy, and non-pre- 

 hensile tails, opposable thumbs and great toes, large eyes, and long 

 dog-like faces. They are divided into three families, of which the 

 typical one, the Lemurida, contains all but the whole of the 

 species. It is subdivided into the following groups : 



1. The Indrisince (Indris and Propithecus) , from Madagascar, 

 characterized by their disproportionately long hind limbs, hind toes 

 united by skin, and the possession of only 30 teeth. They are 

 exhibited in separate Cases in the centre of the Gallery, and in Case 

 10. They are singularly variable in their colour, as may be seen by 

 the mounted groups of the different species. When on the ground 

 they move in an upright position, holding their arms over their heads 

 in order to balance themselves, and progressing by short leaps, in a 

 most awkward and ludicrous manner. 



2. The Lemurince or true Lemurs (Case 10) , also confined to [Case 10.] 

 Madagascar, have fore and hind limbs of nearly equal length, toes 



free to the base, and 36 teeth. They are more quadrupedal in 

 their actions than the last group, moving about both on the ground 

 and in trees with great activity. Like the Propitheci, they are very 

 variable in their coloration, being marked with various shades of 

 red, brown, and black. Specimens of the Ruffed Lemur (Varecia 

 varia) are exhibited in one of the separate cases. 



3. The GalagmincB are distinguished by the unusual elongation 

 of their tarsal bones. There are two genera, of which the first, 

 Chirogale, contains 3 or 4 small species, with long bushy tails and 

 soft woolly fur. They are very like large dormice, both in their 

 appearance and habits, building nests and hibernating during the 

 winter. Galago, the second genus, is found in Africa, and dis- 

 tributed from Senegambia to Mozambique. 



4. The group of Lorisince contains 5 or 6 rare and curious forms, 

 such as the Potto (Perodicticus potto) of Western Africa, and the 

 Loris of India and Ceylon. Specimens of both are exhibited in 

 Case 10. 



The second and third families of the Lemuroidea, the Tarsiidte 

 and Chiromyidcs, contain each a single species only, viz. the Tarsier 



