THE SLOW LEMUR. 8^ 



in one of them while he devoured it. For other 

 purposes, and sometimes even for that of holding 

 his food, he used all his paws inditferently as hands, 

 and frequently grasped with one of them the higher 

 part of his ample cage, while his three others were 

 severally engaged at the bottom of it ; but the pos- 

 ture of which he seemed fondest was to cling with 

 all four of them to the upper wires, his body be- 

 ing inverted. In the evening he usually stood erect 

 for many minutes, playing on the wires with his 

 fingers, and rapidly moving his body from side to 

 side, as if he had found tlie ut.lity of exercise in his 

 unnatural state of contincmcnt. 



" A little before day -break, when my early hours 

 gave me frequent opportunities of observing him, 

 he seemed to solicit my attention ; and if I pre- 

 sented my finger to him he licked or nibbled it with 

 great gentleness, but eagerly took fruit when I 

 offered it ; though he seldom ate much at his 

 morning repast : when the day brought hack his 

 night J his eyes lost their lustre and strength, and 

 he composed himself for a slumber of ten or eleven 

 hours. 



*' My little friend was, on the whole, very en- 

 gaging ; and when he was found lifeless in the same 

 posture in which he would naturally have slept, I 

 consoled myself with believing that he died without 

 much pain, and lived with as much pleasure as he 

 could have enjoyed in a state of captivity." 



In tlie year 1755, M. D'Obsonville purchased 

 one of these animals of an Indian. He was very 

 slow in his motions, so that even when he seemed 



