PROFESSOR OWEN ON THE AYE-AYE. 43 
forming a kind of scattered moustache along each upper lip and external to the 
nostrils ; the longest of these hairs are nearly black. 
The shorter hairs below the orbits on the fore part of the cheeks are of a grey brown, 
with lighter tips ; and this colour extends round the outer and upper part of the orbit, 
where it expands in simulation of eyebrows. But the latter name may better be given 
to a tuft of about a dozen long, black, slender vibrissee which project from a slight 
swelling above the inner angle of the eye-slit, and diverge as they rise. 
The base of the nose and the interorbital space present a deeper or subfuscous 
yellowish-grey colour, which also prevails upon the hind half of the cheeks, where 
several of the longer hairs have whitish tips. Here, however, are about six long black 
vibrisse projecting about an inch below the outer angle of the eye-slit. 
Nine dark-coloured hairs grow from the inner surface of the upper eyelids near to, but 
not from, the palpebral border, and form a defensive series like short eyelashes. Such 
are not developed from the lower eyelids ; but short fuscous hairs grow from the outer 
surface of both lids close to the palpebral border, and gradually lengthen as they recede 
therefrom, marking a well-defined dark border, like the kohl-pigment of Eastern 
beauties, of from 2 lines to 3 lines broad, round the eyes, the adjoining circle of lighter 
grey heightening the difference by contrast. The grey colour of the cheeks, a little 
deepened at their middle, is continued over the lower part of the face and the chin, 
upon the neck, graduating into the fuscous upon the chest ; but the hair of the belly 
is of a lighter fuscous than that of the back. 
From the forehead the long hairs gradually increase in length to the occiput, and 
from the cheeks to the setting-on of the ears. 
The auricle presents a subelliptic form, 3 inches 4 lines by 2 inches 2 lines in the 
chief diameters. The anterior hollow very gradually deepens from the obtusely 
rounded tip to the tragus ; expanding also to the middle of the ear, and then contracting 
to where the concavity becomes semitubular by the forward production of the basal 
borders of the auricle. At this part is shown a distinct ‘tragus,’ along the base of 
which the hair abruptly ceases. The lower and hinder part of the basal border forms 
an ‘ antitragus,’ on the outside of which grow hairs of an inch or more in length. This 
antitragus is continued above into a ridge gradually subsiding upon the inner surface of 
the auricle, and representing the lower part of the prominence called ‘ antihelix.’ Above 
the ‘ tragus’ avertical fold projects backward, as it were, formed by the reflected border 
of the upper and fore part of the base of the auricle : it gradually subsides as it rises, and 
represents the beginning of a ‘ helix.’ Long, wavy, silky hairs grow from its outer side. 
Similar hairs project from the basal fourth of the outer or back part of the auricle, 
which elsewhere consists of a seemingly smooth, but minutely granulate, shining, 
naked skin, like parchment, but of a dark fuscous hue, showing the ramifications 
of blood-vessels on the outside, and numerous whitish dots on the inside, and giving 
a deep vinous tint by transmitted light. The fuscous pigment is not developed on 
G2 
