THE LIONS OF HINDOSTAX. 491 



tize in Europe, and, even if they survive the voyage, die very shortly 

 after their arrival. 



Linnd has given the name of Lemurs, which modern naturalists 

 have also adopted, to a race of quadrumanous animals approximating 

 in many particulars to the Monkey tribe, but forming, nevertheless, 

 a perfectly distinct zoological family. It comprises five genera : one, 

 that of the Galagos, belongs to Africa ; two inhabit India and the 

 neighbouring islands namely, the Loris and the Tarsii ; and, finally, 

 two others, the Makis and the Indris, are exclusively confined to 

 Madagascar, where they occupy the same position as the Apes properly 

 so called on the continent. 



The Galagos are distinguished by their great eyes, their large 

 membranous ears, which double down when the animal is at rest, 

 their extraordinary long hind limbs, and their long and tufted tail. 

 In size they vary from that of a rat to that of a rabbit. The Senegal 

 Galagos, or Gum animals of Senegal (Galago Senegalensis), have, at 

 night, all the activity of birds, hopping from bough to bough on their 

 hind limbs only. They watch the insects flitting among the leaves, 

 listen to the fluttering moth as it darts through the air, and leap 

 upon it with arrow-like rapidity, seldom missing their prize, which is 

 caught by the hands. Their nests are made in the branches of the 

 trees, and they cover a bed for their young with grass and leaves. 



What shall I say of the Loris ? Two species only are known, 

 and both are natives of the East Indian world : the Short-limbed 

 Loris (Lemur tardigradus), and the Slender Loris (Lemur gracilis\ 

 the latter being readily recognized by the disproportionate length of 

 his limbs, and, especially, of his fore-arms. They live in the trees ; 

 feeding on insects, or, as a relish, on small birds and quadrupeds; and 

 going forth at night in search of their prey. They have a short muzzle, 

 slender body, no tail, rough tongue, and large staring eyes, placed 

 very near each other. Their ears are short, scarcely rising through 

 the hair in which they are embedded ; the nostrils project beyond the 

 mouth, and are surrounded by a naked muzzle ; and the thumbs are 

 widely separated from the fingers, both on the fore and hinder hands. 



