144 



VISITS TO MADAGASCAR. 



Two French gentlemen who had resided many years on the 

 island, and with whom I frequently conversed about the 

 animal, had both had it more than once in their possession. 

 M. De Lastelle said its habits were nocturnal, and that it was 

 exceedingly active during the night ; that he lost one during 

 the night; suspecting that, from superstitious motives, the 

 natives had set it free, he confined one afterwards in a barrel 

 in his house, but that it ate through the barrel and escaped. 





THE ATE-ATS 



M. Provint had kept one for some time in his house. He de- 

 scribed its eyes as large and round, its ears as thin and broad, 

 its colour brown, merging into grey, and its thick, bushy tail 

 shorter than that of the large black and white lemur. It 

 subsisted chiefly on boiled rice and fruits, and during the day 



