LORIS. 227 



two species just considered by its more slender and cylindrical tail and smaller 

 ears. The length of the head and body is 5 inches, and that of the tail 7J. 

 The general colour is brown, darker on the sides of the face ; the white streak 

 on the nose being narrow ; and the chin, throat, and under parts of a reddish- 

 grey colour. The so-called G. murinus, from Old Calabar, is probably identical 

 with this species. 



THE SLOW LEMURS, OR LORIS. 

 Genera Nycticebus and Loris. 



With the slow lemurs of the warmer parts of Asia we come to the last group 

 of the lemur family; this group likewise including the pottos of Africa, to be 

 described next. The members of this group may be recognised either by the total 

 absence of the tail, or by its length not exceeding one-third that of the head and 

 body. The only lemur with which these animals could possibly be confounded 

 would, therefore, be the indri of Madagascar ; but, irrespective of its larger size, 

 that animal is at once distinguished by the web uniting the bases of the toes, and 

 the full development of the index finger of the hand. Moreover, the slow lemurs 

 and the pottos may be further distinguished, not only from the indri, but likewise 

 from all other lemurs, by the index finger of the hand being invariably very small, 

 and even rudimentary and without any trace of a nail. Then, again, all these 

 lemurs are peculiar in having the thumb of the hand and the great toe of the foot 

 very widely separated from the other digits ; this divergence being carried to such 

 an extent in the case of the great toe, which is actually directed backwards instead 

 of forwards. 



Apart, therefore, from their distribution, there is no difficulty in distinguishing 

 a slow lemur or a potto from all other lemurs. All the members of the present 

 group have, however, the same number of teeth as the true lemurs, but they 

 differ from the galagos and mouse-lemurs in that the bones of the upper part 

 of the ankle are of ordinary proportions, so that the foot is not abnormally 

 lengthened. 



The slow lemurs are purely nocturnal, and are well known for the extreme 

 slowness and deliberation of their movements; the latter characteristic having 

 given their distinctive name to the Asiatic representatives of the group. It was 

 probably their deliberate motions, nocturnal habits, and large glaring eyes, that 

 suggested to the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus the name of lemur for the group 

 generally. 



The slow lemurs are distinguished from the pottos by having a well-developed 

 but small index finger on the hand, which has the usual three joints, and is provided 

 with a distinct nail. They have no external tail, and are, as we have already 

 mentioned, strictly confined to the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, There 

 are three species, all of which are very closely allied, although the majority of 

 naturalists have considered it advisable to divide them into two genera, one of 

 which contains two, and the other one species. 



