THE INDRIS FAMILY. 



85 



and feet are black on the hairy upper surface 

 in all species, this creature looks as if it had 

 boxing-gloves on all its extremities. These 

 creatures have been divided according to the 

 length of the tail, apart from minor differences, 

 into two genera, each con- 

 taining several species. One 

 of these comprises the true 

 Indris [Lic/ianotus) with short 

 brush-like tail, and to this genus 

 the form shown in fig. 29 be- 

 longs. The other consists of 

 the Veiled Lemurs (Propithe- 

 cus), with tail almost as long 

 as the body. The fur is very 

 thick, soft, almost woolly. Its 

 colours are mixed white and 

 black, inclining in places to 

 dark brown and reddish white. 

 With respect to the distribu- 

 tion of the various patches of 

 colour, there appear to be many 

 individual and sexual varia- 

 tions. 



Sleeping lightly by day these 

 creatures jump about in the 

 trees by night like lively mon- 

 keys, seeking for their food, 

 which consists of fruits, insects, 

 and small birds. They seem 

 to be the most highly en- 

 dowed of all the Prosimii, and 

 the accounts of Sonnerat agree 

 with the more recent ones of 

 Pollen in describing them as 

 gentle, good-natured, and easily 

 tamed. Both authorities agree 

 likewise in stating that the 

 typical species, the Indris or Babakoto {^Lich- 

 anohis Indris), fig. 29, is trained in parts of 

 Madagascar to hunt for birds, which they 

 surprise and seize with great skill. They 

 eat sitting and holding their plunder in their 

 hands. Their voice is said by some to re- 

 semble the crying of a child, by others to 

 be almost deafening when they are present 



in large numbers. In some parts of the 

 island the Malagasies believe that their ances- 

 tors after death are changed into animals of 

 this kind, on which account worship is paid 

 to them, and the leaves of trees on which 



Fig. 30. — The Aye-aye (Chiromys maJagascariemis). page 86. 



they have been seen climbing are regarded 

 as remedies for dangerous diseases. So far 

 no one has had an opportunity of observing 

 living Indris in Europe, possibly because the 

 superstitious ideas cherished about them by 

 the natives are an obstacle to their expor- 

 tation. The name Indris is a native name 

 signifying "man of the woods." 



