VERTEBRATA: MAMMALIA. 775 



and pointed claw. The body is covered with a soft fur, and 

 the tail is usually of considerable length, and is covered with 

 hair. They are easily domesticated; and though capable of 





B'ig. 451. Side-view of the skull of a Lemuroid (Nycticebus or Stenops tardigradris). 

 (After Giebel.) 



biting pretty severely, their disposition is gentle and docile. 

 They are mostly about the size of cats, and not unlike them in 

 appearance, being often termed u Madagascar cats " by sailors. 

 They are found almost exclusively in the great forests of 

 Madagascar, moving about amongst the trees with great activ- 

 ity, by means of their prehensile tails. They appear to fill 

 in Madagascar the place occupied by the higher Quadrumana 

 upon the adjoining continent of Africa. One of the best-known 

 species is the Indri (Indris laniger) which occurs, with other 

 species of the genus, in Madagascar. The genus Lemur itself 

 includes the so-called " Makis," the most familiar of which is 

 the Ring-tailed Lemur (L. catta). The dental formula is 



2 2 T ^ *= 53=; 3 6 . 



' 



22 i i 33 33 



The " Galagos" (Galago), sometimes raised to the rank of 

 a distinct family, are the only members of the Lemuridce which 

 occur out of Madagascar, and they are confined to Africa, 

 being most abundant in the western part of this continent, but 

 one species extending its range to Senegal and the southern 

 borders of the Sahara. All have long bushy tails, large eyes, 

 and large membranous ears. 



PLATYRHINA. 



The section of the Platyrhine Monkeys is exclusively con- 

 fined to South America, and one of its leading characters is to 

 be found in the very general possession of a prehensile tail ; 





