THE DWARF-LEMURS. 59 
the eastern forest into the heart of Betsileo, a few miles north of 
Fianarantsoa, where they are tolerably abundant, frequenting 
the tops of the highest trees. Among these it moves about 
on all fours (its very stout limbs having beautifully perfect 
hands), using its tail as a balance by twisting it round a branch. 
The tail is, however, not truly prehensile, the animal only 
employing it to steady itself, or to hold on slightly by. This 
species, whose food consists chiefly of fruit and insects, builds 
a nest in a fork amid the smallest branches near the top of 
some very high tree, the female bringing forth two and some- 
times three young at a birth. 
Iv. THE FORK-MARKED DWARF-LEMUR. MICROCEBUS FURCIFER. 
Lemur furcifer, Blainv., Ostéogr. Mamm., 1841, p. 35, pl. vii. 
Cheirogaleus furcifer, sid. Geoffr., C. R., xxxi., p. 876 (1850) ; 
Mivart, P. Z. S., 1867, pp. 960-975 (skull and tarsus 
figured). 
Lepilemur furcifer, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 145. 
LPhaner furcifer, J. .. Gray, Cat. Monkeys, Brit. Mus. App., 
Pp. 132, 135 (1870). 
Microcebus furcifer, Forsyth Major, Noy. Zool., vol. i., p. 16 
(1894). 
Characters.—Ears large and long ; snout pointed ; tail longer 
than the body, and equally haired; foot elongate. General 
colour reddish-grey. Unmistakably recognisable by the black 
dorsal streak bifurcating on the forehead into two branches, 
extending on the inner side of the ears and terminating over 
each eye. 
Facial portion of skull longer than cranial ; angle of lower 
jaw much produced backwards and downwards ; hind margin 
of palate extending back to hinder margin of posterior molar ; 
hind perforations of palate large ; border of maxillary swollen 
