40 THE LEMURIDJL. 



scientific knowledge or research. I have, however, taken a 

 great interest in what has been done by others in investi- 

 gating the faima of Madagascar. I have kept my eyes open 

 during long journeys made in different parts of the country ; 

 and I have been at some pains to study the papers con- 

 tributed by naturalists to our scientific journals upon the 

 fauna of the country. While, therefore, of little value to the 

 scientific student, the following resume of what is known as 

 to the animal life of Madagascar may not be without inte- 

 rest to the general reader. 



Lemuridce. — The Primates are represented in Madagascar 

 only by a portion of the eight families into which this 

 order of mammals is divided ; the anthropoid and other 

 apes, the baboons and the numerous families of monkeys, 

 being altogether absent. But their place is taken by a much 

 more attractive and beautiful division of quadrumana, the 

 Lemuridae, which are found in great variety of form and 

 colour all through the encircling ring of forest. In travel- 

 ling from the coast to the elevated plateaux of the interior, 

 one is sure to frequently hear their loud wailing cries, which 

 sometimes make the woods resound for some minutes together, 

 and have a most startling effect when heard for the first 

 time. For a moment one supposes that there is a company 

 of people not far distant in deep distress ; but after dis- 

 covering the source of the sounds, I always found a curious 

 pleasure in listening to the long-drawn-out melancholy cries, 

 which are doubtless rather signs of the little creatures' enjoy- 

 ment of their forest life than any expression of pain or fear. 

 The lemurs have all the agility of monkeys, but with none of 

 their comic half-human expression, the head being more like 

 that of a dog or a fox, with sharp muzzle and large expressive 

 eyes ; the fur is thick and soft, and the tail often long and 

 bushy. There is a good deal of variety in size and colour 

 among the lemurs and the allied genera, the largest species 

 (Indris) being equal to a good-sized monkey, from three to 

 four feet long, while the smallest {Lepilcnmr) is no larger 

 than a rat or a small squirrel. One species, found abun- 

 dantly in a spur of forest crossing the centre of the island, is 

 entirely of a glossy black; others are of various shades of 



