242 LEMURS. 



posed of a mixture of longer stiffish hairs, with an under-coat of more busliy and 

 shorter ones. The prevailing colour is dark bro^^'n, tending to black ; the throat 

 being yellowish-grey, and the under-parts showing a rufous tinge. Some of the 

 longer hairs on the back are whitish, thus producing a somewhat mottled appear- 

 ance in the fur. 



The aye-aye was discovered by the French traveller Sonnerat — who likewise 

 first obtained the indn — as far back as the year 1780; and it was described in 

 the first year of the present century by Baron Cuvier, who regai-ded it as a kind 

 of squiri-el. Nothing more was heard of the creature from Sonnerat 's time till 

 1860, when specimens were sent to this country, and desci-ibed by Sir Richard 

 Owen. The following account of the habits of the aye-aye in its native land was 

 published in 1882 \>y Mr. L. Baron, a missionary in Madagascar. '• The aye-aye," 

 writes Mr. Baron, " lives in the dense pai-ts of the great forest that inins along the 

 eastern border of the central plateau of the island, but only in that part of it which 

 separates the Sihanaka province from that of the Betsimisaraka, and which is 

 about twenty-five miles from the east coast, in latitude 17° 22" S., or thereabouts. 

 Possibly there are other parts of the country where the aye-aye is found ; but so 

 far as my knowledge extends (and I have made inquiries in different parts of the 

 island), this is the only region where the creature rinds its home . . . From what 

 I have gathered from the natives, it seems to be pi-etty common, its nocturnal 

 habits, and the superstitious awe with which it is regarded (and of which I shall 

 speak presently) accounting for its appai-ent rarity. 



" The native name of the animal is Haihay (Hihi) ; but this is not derived 

 from the exclamations of surprise which the natives exhibited at the sight of an 

 unknown animal, but is simply onomatopoetic, the creature's call being haihay, 

 haihay. The animal, as is well known, is nocturnal in its habits, prowling about 

 in pairs — male and female. It has but one young one at birth. It builds a nest 

 about 2 feet in diameter, of twigs and dried leaves, in the dense foliage of the 

 upper branches of trees. In this it spends the day in sleep. The nest is entered 

 by a hole at the side. The teeth are used in scratching away the bark of trees in 

 search of insects, and the long claw in digging out the pi'ey when found. A 

 white insect called Andra itra (possibly the larva of some beetle), seems to form its 

 chief food. I was told that it frequently taps the bark with its fore-feet, and then 

 listens for the movement of its prey beneath, thus saving itself useless labour. It 

 does not flee at the sight of man, showing that for generations it has not been 

 molested by him : which is indeed true, as the following- will show. The natives 

 have a superstitious fear of the creature, believing that it possesses some super- 

 natural power by which it can destroy those who seek to capture it or to do it 

 harm. The consequence of this is that it is with the greatest difficulty one can 

 obtain a specimen. With most of the people no amount of money would be a suffi- 

 cient inducement to go in pui'suit of the creature, ' because,' say they, ' we value 

 our own lives more than money.' It is only a few of the more daring spirits 

 among them, who knowing the odiny, that is the secret by which they can disarm 

 it of its di-eaded power, have the courage to attempt its capture. Occasionally it is 

 brought to Tamatave for sale, where it realises a good sum. Now and then it is 

 accidentally caught in the traps which the natives set for lenuirs ; but the owner 



