70 THE LEMURS 



Marmoset has claws instead of nails except on its great toe. 

 Its voice is a low, gentle whistle, quickly repeated when 

 alarmed, for which reason the French settlers call it Ouistiti. 

 The Marmoset is common in many parts of South 

 America. Its chief food consists of fruit, but it is very fond 

 of insects. A visitor to the Zoological Gardens will find 

 that the little animal will accept a biscuit or a nut, but it 

 will view him as a positive benefactor if he will catch a few 

 flies and pass them into the cage. 



LION TAMARIN (Midas rosalia). 



The Tamarins are called the Silky Marmosets. They 

 are very general in the forests of the Amazon. The Lion 

 Tamarin, in colour, is rather yellower than our common 

 squirrel. Its naked face set in the midst of a circular mane 

 gives the little creature a more than passing resemblance to 

 a tiny lion hence leoninus is another specific name. In 

 common with the Marmosets, the Tamarins can be easily 

 tamed, and consequently are often kept as pets. 



SECTION ILLEMUROIDEA. 



We now pass from the Monkeys, by a very natural transi- 

 tion, to a singular race at the extreme end of the quadru- 

 manous animals, which appears to connect the higher 

 anthropoids to the genuine quadrupeds. The appellation 

 of Lemur (Lat. lemure, a ghost) was given to them on 

 account of their nocturnal habits. They are restricted to 

 the island of Madagascar, which, though close to Africa, 

 well wooded, and with a favourable temperature, strangely 

 enough does not possess a single species of genuine monkey. 



In disposition gentle, and in habit active, the Lemurs 

 display neither the vivacity, cunning, nor curiosity of the 

 monkey, to whom they are certainly inferior in intelligence. 

 In size they are generally equal to a large cat, and, indeed, 

 the name Madagascar cats is often applied to the whole 

 race. The muzzle is long and pointed ; the fur woolly ; 

 and the second fingers or toes have claws, instead of 

 being furnished with nails as are their other digits. The 



