TARSIUS BANCANUS. 



the face, is short and obtuse ; the nose is slightly rounded, almost flat above, and the 

 nostrils, as xisual in this genus, are pierced laterally. The ears, which, from their 

 erect position, and their projection beyond the cranium, give a pecuhar distinctive 

 character and appearance to the other species, in our animal are disposed horizontally, 

 and instead of rising up toward the crown of the head, incline backward, and extend 

 but little from its sides ; the lobes, as usual, are very thin, membranaceous, semitrans- 

 parent, thinly beset with delicate hairs ; several tufts of longer hairs arise from the 

 base, where the interior membranaceous lobules are discovered, but in our specimen too 

 much contracted to admit of a detailed description. The neck is very short, and the ante- 

 rior extremities have the same proportion to the body as in the other species. The hands 

 are externally covered with a very soft down ; internally they are naked, and provided 

 with several rather prominent protuberances, which, according to the opinion of 

 Mr. Fischer, are calculated to assist the animal in climbing. The fingers are deeply 

 divided, and very dehcate ; those of the hands have the same proportion, one to the 

 other, as they have in man ; on the feet they are more lengthened, and slender ; the 

 third finger is longer than the middle finger, and the thumb is proportionally 

 short. In all the third phalanx is somewhat thickened, and surrounded by a pro- 

 jecting orbicular border, which, in the thumb particularly, constitutes a delicate 

 ball, supporting the nail. The nails of all the fingers of the hand, as well as of the 

 thumb and the third and fourth finger of the feet, are triangular, and represent a 

 delicate compressed scale : on the index and middle finger of the feet they are erect, 

 sharp, compressed, slightly curved, and not inaptly compared by Mr. Fischer to the 

 thorns of a rose-bush, constituting one of the essential characters of this genus. 

 The body is handsomely formed, and, as in the other species, somewhat contracted 

 towards the pelvis ; the lower extremities also have in general a similar character, 

 but the tarsus has less of the extravagant length which is common to the other 

 Tarsii. The tail has nearly the length of the body and head taken together ; it is 

 somewhat thicker at the base, nearly naked two-thirds of its length, but covered 

 toAvards the extremity with a soft down, which forms, near the tip, a very obscure 

 tuft. The fur is remarkably soft to the touch ; it is composed of a thick and very 

 delicate wool, which envelopes the body, head, and extremities, forming a coat of 

 an unequal surface, from which irregular straggling hairs project ; at the root of the 

 tail, and at the hands of both extremities, it terminates abruptly in form of a ring. 

 The general colour is brown, inclining to gray ; on the breast, abdomen, and interior 

 of the extremities it is gray, inclining to whitish : a rufous tint is sparingly dispersed 

 over the upper parts, which shews itself most on the head and extremities : the naked 

 parts of the tail near the root are considerably darker than the extremity. 



I obtained this animal in Banca, near Jeboos, one of the mining districts, where 

 it inhabits the extensive forests in the vicinity. 



