QUADRUPEDS. 299 



r;y numerous rings of alternate white and black. In the 

 wild state it is gregarious, travelling in sma'l troops of 

 thirty or forty. When taken young, it is easily tamed. It 

 deUghts in sunshine ; and in a state of domestication pre- 

 fers the fireside to most other places. Its general attitude 

 resembles that of a squirrel ; and it feeds on fruits. In 

 captivity it becomes more omnivorous, and shows no distaste 

 to animal food. The voice of the ruffed lemur is remark- 

 able for its extraordinary strength, which strikes with fear 

 and astonishment those who hear it for the first time. It 

 may be likened to that of the Beelzebub or howling monkey, 

 which fills the woods of Guiana with its dreadful cries. 

 The power of voice in both cases no doubt proceeds from a 

 peculiar structure of the larynx. 



Allied to the lemurs, and till lately generically classed 

 with these animals, is the indri, which, according to Son- 

 nerat, the natives of Madagascar domesticate and train up 

 as we do the dog to the sports of the field. It is a large 

 animal, measuring about three feet and a half in length ; 

 its prevailing colour is blackish, with the visage and lower 

 part of the abdomen gray, and the rump white. It is dis- 

 tinguished by having no tail. Its voice resembles the cry- 

 ing of an infant, and its manners, like those of its conge- 

 ners, are mild and docile. 



The last of the quadrumanous tribe peculiar to Africa, 

 which we shall take occasion to mention, are the galagos. 

 The Senegal galago is about the size of a common rat. 

 They dwell on trees like monkeys and squirrels, are mild 

 in their manners, and feed on insects, which they catch 

 in their fore paws, and devour with great avidity. The 

 great galago inhabits the eastern coast of Africa, and a spe- 

 cies occurs in the island of Madagascar. 



We now approach the more carnivorous tribes ; and, 

 passing over the genus Galeopithecus, the distribution of 

 which is confined to Asia and its islands, we enter upon 

 the Vespcrtilioncs, or great family of the bats, now divided 

 into many genera. Of these the greater proportion belong 

 to South America and the East Indies ; so that our notice 

 of the African species may be short, without being really 

 much curtailed. Several species occur along the western 

 shores ; but the most remarkable is the great bat of Mada- 

 gascar, described by Edwards, and regarded by some a» 



