THE MARIS. 



191 



chest, belly, and insides of the limbs, is of a lighter colour. The hands 

 and feet aie covered with whitish hair to the very nails, and hence its 

 specific name. The tail, which is longer than the body, is covered with 

 Jong hair, grey and grizzly. 



5. LEMUR ALBIFRONS.— WHITE-FRONTED LEMUR. 



Syn. Le MONGOtJS A front blanc. — Cuv. Reg. Aiiim. I. 107. 



Lemur ai.bifrons. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm. Mam. 

 Icon. Le Mak: a front elanc, male, feraelle, etson petit. — F. Cuv. et Geoff. 

 Hist. Mara. — Audeb. Sing. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 

 MALE. 



The Hair chestnut-brown above ; olive-grey beneath; the face, from 

 the eyes to the muzzle, black ; a white band round the head ; the hands 

 yellowish. 



FEMALE. 



The Hair paler than in the male ; no white band on the head. 



The White-fronted Lemur was catalogued among the species by M. 

 GeofFroy-St-Hilaire, and described and depicted by Audebert. Little, 

 however, was known concerning it until the year 1816, when M. F. 

 Cuvier obtained two pairs. 



The male L. albifrons has the hair on the upper parts of the body, the 

 outer sides of its limbs, and a third of its tail, of a golden chestnut-brown 

 colour, when in a strong liglit : tlie inferior parts of the body, and inner 

 sides of the limbs, are olive-grey-brown. The tail towards the tip is 

 black. The front part of the head, and as far back as the ears, the cheeks, 

 and under part of the lower jaw, are white. The face, palms, and soles, 

 are of the hue of an Ethiopian black ; and tlie iris is orange coloured. 

 The only difference of colour in the female is, that those parts which are 

 white in the male are of a dark grey colour, and that the rest of tlie fur 

 is somewhat paler. 



The animals under M. Cuvier's observation bred in Paris, and the 

 period of gestation was about 3i months. The young had the same 

 markings, and was of the same colour as its dam ; its hair, at birth, was 

 very short ; its eyes were open, and it was about the size of a small Rat. 

 No sooner did the young one make its appearance, than it hid itself in its 

 mother's bosom, and soon began to feed itself. For a long while it was 

 scarcely possible to get a sight of it, so hid was it in its mother's fur, and 

 she, on her part, always turned her back on all intruders, even those 

 with whom she was most familiar. Previous to the birlh of her young 

 one, she had been extremely gentle and familiar ; she courted caresses, 

 and licked the hand ; but the moment she had her little one, she became 

 suspicious, retreated as far as possible from every one, and threatened those 

 who approached. When her care of the young one became unnecessary, 

 in the third month, her natural demeanour returned ; but throughout the 

 nursing her care was most assiduous. When five and six weeks old, the 

 young one began to eat the aliment presented to it, but it continued to 

 suck for six months. Whenever in the slightest degree alarmed, it 

 rapidly retreated to its mother's arms. 



6. LEMUR MONGOZ.— MONGOOZ LEMUR. 



Syn. Le Mongohs. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 107. 



Lemcr Mongoz — Linn. Gmel. I. — GeofT. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm. 

 Mam. 



Woolly Maucauco. — Penn. Qiiadr. I. No. U9. 

 Icon. Mongous male, et tele de sa fcnielle F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mam. 



MONGOUZ. — Edw. Glean, pi. 216. 



Mongous.— Buff. Hist. Nat. XIII. pi. 26. 



specific characters. 



palms of the hands, are of a violet hue; the iris is orange. The form of 

 the head of the male is not precisely similar to that of the female, av.d. 

 generally she is smaller and of a lighter hue than her mate. 



When taken young, the Mongooz Lemur is easily tamed ; though it is 

 not so gentle as its ring-tailed congener. BufFon, who of course speaks 

 of an imprisoned specimen, describes it as a filthy animal, wliich gnawed 

 its tail. The individual mentioned by him required to be chained ; it 

 escaped into the neighbouring shops and houses, helping itself to all the 

 fruits and sugar it could find ; and was recaptured only with diflJicuUy. It 

 bit cruellv, making no exception, even of those who had the charge of it. 

 It had a habitual insignificant grunt; and when tired, it uttered a stronger 

 cry, not unlike the croaking of Frogs. It was invariably chilly, and de- 

 lighted in the warmth of a fire. 



7. LEMUR NIGRIFRONS DARK-FRONTED LEMUR. 



Syn. Sdda scrCRus. — Peliv. Gazophyl. p. 26. 



Lemur nigkifkons Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX Desm. Mam. 



Icon, Maki a front NOIR (male). — F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mam. 



specific characters. 



The Hair greyish-brown above, ash-grey beneath. The Forehead 

 and Face blackish-brown. 



This species was first described and represented by our countryman 

 Petiver {Gazopht/lacium, p. 26, tab. 17, (ig- 5), under the name of Simia 

 Sciurus, and in this he was followed by Schreber. Some uncertainty, 

 however, prevailing, and new opportunities of examination occurring in 

 Paris, it was there re examined, and described by M. (JeofFroy-St-Hilaire, 

 under the specific name of nigrifrons, wliich it is now likely to retain. 

 It is about the size of the Uing-tailed Lemur, and in external appearance 

 differs but little from the Mongoz. Its ears are rather shorter than those 

 of its congeners. Its forehead and cheeks are of a blackish-brown co- 

 lour, gradually becoming lighter towards tlie snout, which is light grey. 

 The upper part of the head and neck, the shoulders, and outer sides of 

 the fore-legs, are of a greyish-brown colour, somewhat variegated with 

 white and black. The back, flanks, and outer parts of the hind legs, are 

 of a uniform brownish-grey ; the tail becomes darker as it approaches its 

 tip ; the fur in front of the neck and chest is whitish ; the hands and 

 feet are covered with short ash-coloured hair. 



a LEMUR FULVUS.— FULVOUS LEMUR. 



Syn. Lemiir fulvos Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm. Mam. 



Icon. Le Maki brun Mcnag. du Mus. 



Grand Mangous Buff. Hist. Nat Suppl. VII. pi. 33. 



specific characters. 



The Hair brown above, grey beneath. The Forehead elevated and 

 prominent. 



The Fulvous Lemur has not been long catalogued in any of our systems, 

 and was first described by M. Geoffioy-St-Hilaire (Menag. du Mus.) 

 Care should be taken not to confound it with the Mongooz, tlian which it 

 is about a third larger ; its head also is rounder, and its trunk more deli- 

 cate ; its tail likewise is not so bushy or woolly, and becomes more slend<'r 

 towards its extremity. It is brown above, and ash-coloured below. The 

 croup and hind-legs are of an olive tinge, and the hairs are here reddish 

 at their points. The iris is of a faint orange hue ; the hair is entirely 

 black, and the forehead is elevated and prominent. This animal has been 

 exhibited in Paris as the Pig-lemur (^Coclioji). 



9. LEMUR RUFUS RUFOUS LEMUR. 



Syn. Lemur rufus Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX — Desm. Mam. 



Icon. Le Maki noux. — Audeb. Sing. — Copied in Schreb. pi. 39, C. 



The Hair brown fawn colour, with an olive or yellow shade; the end 

 of the tail black; the face grey; the top of the head black; the cheeks 

 bright brown. 



female. 



The Hair on the top of the head grey, otherwise resembling the male. 



This name (Mongous), originally applied by Edwards and other early 

 writers to nearly all the Lemurs, is now confined to a single species. 

 The general colour of the fur, which is remarkably fine and thick, is of a 

 brown fawn colour, with an olive or yellow shade, and this colour is nearly 

 uniform both on the upper and lower parts of the bodv ; the tail is black 

 at Its extremity, and the summit of the head is entirely so in the male, 

 while it is grey in the female. The lower parts of the cheeks are sup- 

 plied with a rufr of a beautiful orange colour, and the face, ears, and 



specific characters. 



The Hair yellowish-red above, dull white beneath ; a white circle 

 round the head ; a black line from the face to the hinder part of the head ; 

 the tail black near the tip. 



Care should be taken not to confound this Reddish, or rust-coloured 

 Lemur, with the ruber or Red Lemur of M. F. Cuvier, which is of a far 

 briirhter colour. This species has been established only upon some stuffed 

 specimens which exist in the Paris Museum, and therefore retpiires fur- 

 ther elucidation. Audebert is not quite convinced that it differs from the 

 Macaco, though he inclines to this belief. M. Geoflfroy-St-Hilaire, on the 

 other hand, is satisfied upon this point, though it may still be allied to 

 some other species. 



The Reddish Lemur is of the same dimensions as the Macaco; its snout 



