WHITE-FRONTED LEMUR. 37 



agility, it is habitually melancholy and sleepy. It passes 

 the day rolled up, with^its head between its legs, and 

 seems never to awake, except at the call of hunger.* 

 The manners of that now living (1830) at the Zoo- 

 logical menagerie have been described, in a general 

 way, as similar to most other lemurs. '^ In captivity 

 they are generally good tempered, but do not exhibit 

 much playfulness or intelligence ; after a time, however, 

 they become familiar with those who have the care of 

 them, towards whom they will sometimes evince a con- 

 siderable degree of affection. Fruits and roots form the 

 principal part of their nutriment; but dressed meat, or 

 even raw fish, appear to be not unwelcome additions 

 to their vegetable diet. Notwithstanding the thickness 

 of their coats, they are extremely chilly, and are very 

 fond of basking in the sun, or couching by the fireside. 

 In walking or leaping they usually raise their long 

 bushy tails above the level of their backs ; but when at 

 rest, they either suffer them to hang down, or coil them 

 round their bodies to retain the warmth." t 



In size, this species measures, in total length, more 

 than four feet ; but the body alone is not quite half this 

 length. Its general colour above is bright rufous brown, 

 while that beneath is deep black : the face and paws, 

 which are naked, and the long bushy tail, are also of a 

 deep black : the neck is marked above by a large oval 

 white patch, w'hich, from the figures pubhshed, appears 

 to advance nearly round the neck in the shape of a 

 collar. The hair of the body and of the tail is ex- 

 tremely long, soft, and woolly. 



The White-fronted Lemur. 



Lemur albifrons, Maki Angouaii, Geoffroy, Audehert. 



By the observations of M. Fred. Cuvier, made at the 

 French menagerie from the living animals, it appears 

 to us completely established, that the female of this 



* Griff. Cuv. i. 325. t Zool. Gard. vi. 148. 



D 3 



