INDRI. 205 



From the loins to the tail there is a large triangular patch of either pure white or of 

 a yellowish tinge ; this patch terminates in front in a sharp point, and is bordered 

 on all sides with black. The flanks are also light-coloured ; and the dark bands 

 which usually separate the light area of the loins from that of the flanks are continued 

 down the front of the legs ; but the sides of the legs ai-e in general whitish, and their 

 liinder surface grey ; the heel being reddish. The hands and feet are black, and, 

 unlike the specimen we flgure, they are, as a rule, almost denuded of hair. 



Such are tlie common colours in the largtT nmuber of .specimens of the 

 indri. In almost every flock, liowever, individuals are found in wiiich the light- 

 coloured areas intrude more or less extensively upon those which are u.sually 

 black ; and from these intermediate forms a complete transition can Ije traced to 

 others in whicii the whole of the fur is white. The intermediately coloui'ed 

 individuals very generally retain tbc brn,i<l black streak down the front of the leg, 

 and the black ears. 



In.stead of being distributed over tlie whole of Madagascar, the indris arc 



confined to the forests on the east coast of tlie island ; this restricted distribution 



being due to the gi-eat i-ange of mountains running longitudinally through 



Madagascar, which cuts oft' these animals from the plains on the western side. 



In contradistinction to most of the lemurs, the indris are purely 

 Habits 



<liurual in tlieir habits; they are counuonly found in .small parties of 



four or five, although during the day single individuals, more or less widely separated 



from their companions, may fi-e(|uently bti seen. Their general habits appear to 



be similar to those of the propitheques, to which we shall refer later on. Unless 



injured so badly as to be unable to make its escape, the indri does not give 



utterance to the least sound when wounded : if, however, it is so severely hit 



as to fall to the ground, which it will only tlo wlien its extraordinary powers 



of holding on to the branches of the trees are exliausted, it gives vent to piercing 



shrieks. 



It is related by Granditlier that some of the inhabitants of ilailagascar 



have an extraordinaiy superstitious veneration for the indri, and will on no 



consideration harm it. Dift'erent families assign difl'erent reasons for this special 



veneration : and while it may be of the most marked description in one village, in 



a neighbouring one it may be totally wanting. The autlior referred to considers 



that it may be largely due to tlie plaintive and mournful cries with which these 



animals freijuently make the forests re.sound, — cries which can be heard at great 



distances, and have a more or less marked resemblance to agonised human wailings. 



The Propitheques, or Sifakas. 



Genus Propithecus. 



The sifakas, as they are called by tlie native inhabitants of Madagascar, 

 con.stitute tlie only genus of this group of leuun-s whicli is represented by more than 

 a single species. Although closely allied to the indri, they are at once distinguished 

 by their long tails ; the muzzle is also rather shorter, and the ears are considerably 



