GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS. 201 



ancient Romans to such shades of the dead as were supposed to be of malignant 

 propensities. It is somewhat curious that both these terms should have been 

 introduced into zoological nomenclature ; the former to denote the animals of the 

 present group, while the latter is applied to the grub stage of insects. 



Altogether, there are somewhere about fifty species of lemur-like 

 Distribution. . to 1-1,1 v , -i >> 



animals, or which the distribution presents some very remarkable 



features. In the first place, they are all restricted not only to the Old World, but 

 also to the southern regions of the great land masses of that hemisphere, none of them 

 being found to the northward of the tropic of Cancer, while the tropic of Capricorn 

 very nearly limits their southward range. Within this area a few species are 

 found respectively throughout the warmer regions of Africa, and in Southern India 

 and Ceylon, while their eastern limits are marked by the island of Celebes and the 

 Philippines. In all these regions the number of species is comparatively few, and 

 they form but an unimportant element in the general fauna of the country. The 

 case is, however, very different in the great island of Madagascar, which is the 

 headquarters of the whole group. Here we find them constituting no less than 

 one-half the entire Mammalian fauna of the island, being represented by six 

 genera, which include more than thirty species; most of the other Mammals 

 being comparatively small forms, unknown either on the continent of Africa 

 or in Asia. The true lemurs occur only in Madagascar, and it is very remark- 

 able that all the species of the group found in that island scarcely show any 

 closer relationship to those of the African mainland than they exhibit to those 

 of Asia. So abundant, indeed, are lemurs in Madagascar, that, according to 

 Monsieur Grandidier, who has done so much to increase our knowledge of this 

 group, at least one individual is almost sure to be found in every little copse 

 throughout the island. 



It will be evident that such a numerous population of helpless animals like 

 lemurs could not exist in a land overrun with large carnivorous animals ; and in the 

 whole of Madagascar we find only a few civets and an allied creature known as 

 the foussa. Xow to account for these peculiar features the absence of all large 

 Carnivores, except civets, and the abundance of lemurs we have to call in the aid 

 of the geologist. He will tell us that lemur-like animals, accompanied by civet-like 

 Carnivores, existed in England, France, and other parts of Europe during the early 

 part of the Tertiary period. And we are accordingly led to conclude that the lemurs 

 and civets of Madagascar obtained an entrance into that island, doubtless by way 

 of Africa, at a time when that continent was still free from the presence of the large 

 Carnivores and the host of hoofed mammals which now form such a dominant 

 feature in its animal population. After the lemurs and civets had obtained an 

 entrance into Madagascar that country became separated from the adjacent main- 

 land, and it has remained as an island ever since. There, secure from molestation, 

 the lemurs have attained a development unequalled at any time in any part of the 

 globe, and afford us an admirable instance of the importance a group of animals 

 may attain when living under favourable conditions. 



We have already said that many lemurs are essentially nocturnal 



creatures. To this we may add that they are all of essentially arboreal 



habits. Indeed, except when compelled to descend to the ground to obtain water, 



