74 LEMUR-LIKE ANIMALS 



The Tarsier (Tarsius spectrum), which is found in Borneo, 

 Sumatra, and Java, is a similar nocturnal animal, with arms 

 much shorter than the legs and a tail longer than the body. 

 Two of the toes, the second and third, of the hind foot 

 possess claws, but the fingers and other toes are furnished 

 with nails. 



AYE- A YE (Chiromys Madagascariensis}. 

 Coloured Plate III. Fig. i. 



The Aye-aye is an extraordinary animal, found only in 

 Madagascar. The generic name is derived from two Greek 



words, one of which signifies a 

 hand and the other a mouse. The 

 Aye-aye is rather rare, even in 

 its native home. When in 1780 

 a celebrated traveller, Sonnerat, 

 discovered it, the natives who 

 accompanied him were evidently 

 unaware of its existence, for they 

 SKULL OF THE AYE-AYE. cried out in astonishment, ' Aye ! 

 Aye !' The discoverer at once 



adopted the exclamation as the name of this hitherto 

 practically unknown creature. 



When brought to Europe the animal caused more than 

 passing interest because of the doubt how best to classify it. 

 It possesses enormous incisor teeth, a distinguishing feature 

 of the rodents, and, in fact, the Aye-aye bites deeply into 

 trunks and branches in search of grubs, which form a large 

 part of its food. The difficulty, however, does not end 

 there. The limbs are undoubtedly quadrumanous ; the 

 monkey-like foot has an opposable toe ; but the hand is 

 peculiar to the animal and quite unlike that of any other 

 known creature. The thumb is small and insignificant ; 

 the fingers are slight and of great length, with the middle 

 one almost like wire in its degree of attenuation. The 

 movement of this wiry middle finger is quite independent 

 of the others ; it can be used when the other fingers and 

 thumb remain closed. Its purpose is to pick out of the 



