134 MR. G. A. SHAW ON THE HABITS OF LEMURS. [Feb. 4, 



as scrapers, and not to bite with. Besides these, nearly all' its teeth 

 are serrated cutting-teeth, and are arranged, not in opposition, but so 

 as mutually to intersect. In this respect it is admirably accommodated 

 to suit the country in which it lives, as with the greatest facility it 

 can bite off the young shoots of the bamboo, and mince up a whole 

 handful of grass blades and stalks at once, each bite cutting clean, 

 like a pair of scissors. Like very many grass-eating animals, it seems 

 to feed nearly all day long. For several months I had this one 

 chained on the lawn ; and it scarcely ceased gathering the grass 

 within its reach, and eating it, from morning till evening. It is also 

 unlike other Lemurs in its dislike of fruit. I have tempted it with 

 very many different kinds of berries and fruits growing in the forest ; 

 but it would not touch any of them. It is very fond of cooked meat, 

 and also of sugar-cane ; and it was owing to its desire for sugar that 

 it has been coaxed to eat cooked rice, which is now its staple food. 

 It is furnished with a remarkably broad pad on each of the hinder 

 thumbs, by means of which it is enabled to grasp firmly even the 

 smoothest surfaces. Unlike most other Lemurs, its head is very 

 round, although the female has a somewhat more pointed snout 

 than the specimen now in the Society's Gardens. Its cry is very 

 peculiar, at times resembling the quack of a duck, at other times 

 loud and piercing. Its tail is long, but not very bushy. 



3. The Brown Mouse-Lemur^ (Plate IX.). 



This small and highly interesting animal was caught in November 

 1877, since which time it has lived in a small box, and has been allowed 

 a little exercise about the room each night. It is nocturnal in its 

 habits ; and its food consists of fruits and possibly honey : of this 

 there is abundance in the forests on the eastern side of Betsileo, from 

 the lower parts of which the animal was brought. The specimen is 

 full-grown, about seven or eight inches in length ; has a pointed 

 snout and very prominent eyes, large ears, and round rat-like tail, 

 which is not prehensile. It is of a brownish-grey colour, approach- 

 ing to white on the underparts. Its four legs are almost equal in 

 length, thus rendering it difficult for this Lemur to leap any con- 

 siderable distance, as the majority of species can. It runs on all 

 fours, but sits up to eat, holding its food in the fore hands. I fancy 

 that in the winter months in its natural state it hibernates, be- 

 cause in the beginning of last winter (that is in June), after 

 several nights' good exercise, during which time it had the oppor- 

 tunity of eating as much banana as it chose to take, I was astonished 

 in the evening, on opening its box, to find it still asleep, and quite 

 cold to the touch. At first I thought it was dead; but by holding 

 it near to a fire and rubbing it, it graduallj' awoke, and when 

 thoroughly warmed appeared none the worse in health. This 

 happened two or three times, and without any apparent cause, as 

 there was no ill health, nor was the weather particularly cold. From 

 this fact, and from the sudden and unnatural enlargement of the 



' My notes with these particulars have not yet arrived. 

 ^ [This seems to be C7iirnr/akiis milii, Gcoffr. — P. L. S.] 



