THE SLOW-PACED LEMUR. 227 



Slowness ot pace General habits. 



their strength and lustre, and he composed him- 

 self for a slumber often or eleven hours. 



" My Httle friend was on the whole, very en- 

 gaging ; and when he was found lifeless in the 

 same posture in which he would naturally have 

 slept, I consoled myself with believing that he 

 died without much pain, and lived with as much 

 pleasure as he could have enjoyed in a state of 

 captivity." 



Thevenot informs us, that he saw two of these 

 animals which had been brought from Ceylon. 

 When examined, they sat erect on their hind 

 feet, folded the others across, and looked round 

 at the numerous spectators who visited them 

 without the least signs of fear. 



M. D'Obsonville observes of one of these ani- 

 mals, which he purchased of an Indian, that it 

 was melancholy, silent, and patient; and its mo- 

 tions were so extremely slow, that even when it 

 seemed desirous of moving fast, it scarcely pro- 

 ceeded above six or eight yards in a minute. 

 His voice was a kind of whistling, by no means 

 unpleasant. When his prey was attempted to 

 be taken from him, his countenance changed to 

 an appearance expressive of chagrin, and he in- 

 wardly uttered an acute and tremulous note. 

 He generally slept during the day with his head 

 resting upon his hands, and his elbows between 

 his thighs. But in the midst of this sleep, al- 

 though his eyes were closed, he was exceedingly 

 sensible to all external impressions, and never 



