36.2 Zoological Society. 



patches of the chest and helly indigo-blue, and the band across the 

 forehead not usually dark, but of an orange-j'ellow. In the imma- 

 ture the hair of the crown is not much flattened down or so diver- 

 ging, the face more old-fashioned and exquisitely comical, the tail 

 nearly naked, and the cheeks, palms, soles and callosities, pale pink- 

 ish. I have nothing to add to the admirable description of the habits 

 of the genus given in ' Menageries.' This and the Toque should 

 unquestionably be separated from all other ' Macaques.' 



" The Loris gracilis is very common in the lower country of the 

 south and east of Ceylon. Mr. Baird's account leaves little to be 

 said about it, as its timorousness and nocturnal habits afford little 

 opportunity for watching it. I have had them several times, but 

 have never been able to keep them for more than a few months ; they 

 soon begin to pine away and die. Their food consisted of very 

 ripe plantains, rice, and such insects as abounded in the apartment. 

 The last I had slept nearly all day with the nose resting against the 

 lower part of the belly, as represented in the sketch ; about dusk, if 

 the room was perfectly quiet, it ventured about, crawling along the 

 rails of the chairs with a very gentle movement, occupying nearly 

 one-third of a minute in closing its hands on the parts of the furni- 

 ture it grasped in succession, and moving its head from side to side 

 with much grave deliberation ; but when a spider or other insect 

 came within its reach, its clutch at it was quick as lightning, and 

 wdth equal rapidity it was conveyed to the mouth, so that I could 

 only guess at what it had seized from knowing that insects abounded 

 in the room. It was perfectly conscious of being watched, as I have 

 occasionally detected it moving with considerable rapidity, but in- 

 stantly assuming its ordinary slow movement when my eyes were 

 directed towards it. It would not tolerate the familiarities which 

 are mentioned by Mr. Baird ; and Capt. Geale, 90th Light Infantiy, 

 remarked to me that it seemed particularly anxious to avoid having 

 its hinder extremities touched, which is certainly the case. I never 

 saw it search for ' Pediculi ' among its hair, nor could ever detect any 

 on its body after death. When approached it retired along the stick 

 placed slantingly in the corner for its use, or along the back of the 

 chairs with the usual deliberate movement, its great goggle eyes 

 fixed immoveably on your face, or hands if held towards it, and with 

 every expression of extreme fear. Its mouth appears so small and 

 so little distensible, at least when alive, that I cannot imagine it ca- 

 pable of biting anything except it be of very small size ; yet the na- 

 tives universally assert that it destroys peacocks in the jungle, seizing 

 them by the neck, which it clutches with such tenacity that the bird 

 soon falls exhausted to the ground off its perch, or in its sudden 

 flight attempting to escape its persecutor ; and further, that having 

 devoured the brains it leaves the rest of the body untouched. The 

 sketch* is a good one, taken from life ; but it must be remarked that 

 the white streak betv/een the eyes often extends a little backwards, 



* The published figures give no idea of tlie animal ; they all represent 

 the snout much too long, the eyes too small, and the face not sufficiently 

 broad and flat. 



