2o8 LEMURS. 



Verreaux's This and the next species, which are smaller than the last, and 



Sifaka. ^re those -which are known to the natives as the sifakas, are restricted 



to the western and southern coasts of Madagascar. Here they are only found in 



the thick forests which here and there occur among the desolate solitudes of the 



western and southern sides of the island, — regions of sandy plains where fertilising 



rains but seldom occur. 



The fur of P. verreauxi (of which the head is figured on p. 20G) is woolly 



and soft to the touch ; its colour being typically white with a faint tinge of yellow. 



The summit and hinder part of the head are, however, often of a marone colour, 



and more rarely redchsh, wliile some individuals show more or less marked grey 



tints in various regions of the body. In no case, however, does the brown of the 



head ever extend on to the neck and back, as it does in the diademed species. 



There are two well-marked varieties of this species, one being pure white, with the 



exception of patches of bright red on the anus and thighs. 



A writer relates how he once had for .some time two females and their J'oung 



of this species in a cage. ' Nothing was more toucliing than to see these poor 



mothers holding their young lying in their arms. At the least movement, the 



young sifaka left its mother's breast and leapt upon lier back, where, with its hands 



resting on her shoulders, and its feet bui'ied in her fur, it took so fiiTn a gi-a.sp that 



it was impossible to make it leave go ; and one could thus readily understand how 



that, whatever leaps the mother might take, the ofl'spring would never be unseated." 



The last species of the ijropithenues (P. coronatus) agrees in size 

 Crowned Sifaka. '^ . ^. . i ,,■ , t • 



with tlie jireceding, to which it is closely allied. It has, indeed, a crest 



of long blackish hairs on the foreliead, from which it derives its name ; but since a 



similar crest is found in some individuals of YeiTeaux's sifaka, this cannot be taken 



as the ground for specific distinction. Neither can its coloration, peculiar though 



it be, form the distinction, since the difference in this respect from the typical fonu 



of the latter species is scarcely if at all greater than that occurring between the 



various races included under that heading. 



It is, indeed, mainly from the characters of the skull that the crowned sifaka is 

 ranked as a distinct species. Thus the skull is altogether larger than that of the 

 preceding species, in addition to wliich it has a proportionately larger muzzle ; while 

 there are other distinctive features, into the consideration of which it would be 

 beyond the .scope of the present work to ent^". 



In colour, the forehead, the crown of the head, and the cheeks are blackish- 

 brown ; in bold contra.st to wliich stands out the white fur with wliich the eai-s are 

 covered. The neck and upper parts of the bodj^ as well as the limbs, are of the same 

 white colour, having a more or less distinct rosj" tinge on the limbs and at the root of 

 the tail ; this rosy tint being most distinct in the more southern race of this species, 

 in which it may extend on to the back. There is a patch of grey or brown, vaiyiug 

 in size, on the nape of the neck. The tail and hands are invariabh' pure white. 



This species is restricted to a small area on the nortli-west coast of Madagascar, 

 situated to the north-eastward of Cape St. Andre, and lx)unded to the east by the 

 River Betsiboka, and by the Manzaraj' Ei\er to the west. 



In concluding their notice of these animals, Messrs. Milne -Edwards and 

 Grandidier remark how curious it is to find the various races and species so 



