192 



ORDER QUADRUMANA.— GENUS LICHANOTUS. 



is black ; its ears short and round; the summit of its head, temples, cheeks. 

 and under part of the neck, are of a dull white ; a black line runs from 

 tlie face, and extends to the crown of the head. All the body is of a yel- 

 lowish-red colour, and the tail, much more slender than that of the Ma- 

 caco, is black at its extremity. 



10. LEMUR CINEREUS GREY LEMUR. 



Syn. Lemur CINEREUS GeofF. Mag. Encyc. I. p. 20. — Desm. Mam. 



Icon. Le Griset Audeb. Sing. — Copied in Sel)reb. pi. 40, C. 



Petit Maki Buff. Hist. Nat. Sjppl. VII. pi. 8i. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair grej', tipped with yellow above ; whitish beneath ; the point 

 of the tail yellowish. 



Some degree of doubt for some time hung over this last species, but 

 it is now considered as unquestionably distinct. Stuifed specimens, we be- 

 lieve, are common in Paris ; and Buffon described it from an individual 

 discovered by Sonnerat; Audebert has also given us a description. 



The Grey Lemur is a very pretty little animal, only ten inches long 

 from the tip of the snout to the origin of the tail, which is somewhat 

 longer. Its hair is mouse-grey towards its root, yellowish at its extremity, 

 and frizzled like the wool of the Merino Sheep. Though its snout is not 

 so prominent as that of the other Lemurs, its physiognomy is more delicate, 

 and its movements lighter. The whole of the body is covered with this 

 grey fur tipt with yellow ; the under parts are almost white ; the tail is 

 yellow at its point. 



DOUBXrUL SPECIES. 



1. Lemur Anjuanensis (GeofF. Ann. Mus. XIX.) was considered by 

 M. Fred. Cuvier to be the female of the White-fronted Lemur. How- 

 ever, a pair of specimens of this latter animal, exhibited in London, re- 

 sembled each other precisely (see Linn. Trans. XIII. p. 624), so that 

 the question of their identity still remains doubtful. 



2. Lemur nicer (Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX.), entirely black, with long 

 hairs hanging from the neck, is not very distinctly established. It is 

 figured by Edwards (Gleanings, pi. 2\7) under the name of the Black 

 Maucauco. 



3. Le Maki a gorge blanche (F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mara.) 



In the year 1834, M. F. Cuvier published a beautiful representation 

 and a good description of a Lemur, of whose species he still remained 

 doubtful. Tl'.is animal was a female ; and though satisfied it was not 

 a Mococo, a Vaii, an albifrons, Mongoz, nor Red Lemur, yet still it might 

 be the mate of some other of the previously described species. This ani- 

 mal possessed the size, proportions, and general physiognomy of the Mon- 

 gooz ; its snout was grey, with the exception of the muzzle, which was 

 violet-coloured ; round the eyes it was black. The head, as far as the 

 ears, the neck, shoulders, and upper extremity, were grey ; the lower part 

 of the under jaw, the sides of the head as far back as the ears, and the 

 under part of the neck and chest, were white. The ears were of a dark 

 flesh colour ; the back to the tail, the sides of the body, the belly, thighs, 

 and legs, were fawn-coloured ; the hands and feet were greyish ; the first 

 half of the tail was of a dull fawn grey, and the other half was blackish. 

 All the naked parts of the body had a violet hue. We have been the 

 more particular in tracing these external colourings, that others may assist 

 in determining the species. 



Like many of the female Lemurs, this individual was of an extremely 

 sweet disposition. It was strongly attached to its owner — a lady, who 

 was very fond of it, but obliged, however, to part with it, to their mu- 

 tual regret, and so much did tliis affect the poor animal, that it sank 

 under grief, but retaining its accustomed amiability to the last. This re- 

 gret was manifested by its inactivity. It sat still with arms crossed, ne- 

 glecting wanton amusement, and hanging the head on its breast. At first it 

 ate a httle, as in brighter days, but gradually its strength and appetite de- 

 cHned, cough supervened, and in a few days it died. 



imagiuaby species. 



1. Lemur collaris (Le Maki a fraise) is a duplicate of Lemur albi- 

 manus described above. 



It should be mentioned here, that many of the differences noted above 

 as specific are, in all probability in some instances, only sexual. It is still 

 more probable that many species still remain undescribed and unknown. 



4-rr^ imperfectly knov 



GENUS n. LICHANOTUS.— INDRIS. 



Syn. Les Indris. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. L 108. 

 LICHANOTUS.' — Illig. Prodr. 72. 



Indri Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm, Mam. 



Lemur (in part) Linn. Gmel. I. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



The Head triangular. The Muzzle pointed. 



The Ears short and rounded. The Eyes directed forwards 



The Dental Formula \^^ — ^ti - 



|2-fC+(. F. 



The Tarsus shorter than the tibia. 



The First Finger only of the hinder hand with a claw. 



The Mamma: two. 



Inhabit Madagascar. 



The Indris, in respect to their dentition, coincide [as far as known] 

 with the Lemurs, excepting that they have only four [incisors] in 

 the lower jaw. 



This genus is very readily distinguished from the neighbouring ones of 

 the Lenmrian family, by its having only four incisors in each jaw. Those 

 of the upper jaw form pairs, the centre ones having their edge concave, 

 whilst in the two lateral they are conve.x. The lower incisors are conti- 

 guous, and are especially remarkable as regards tlieir direction, being al- 

 most quite horizontal ; the side ones are somewhat larger, and are rounded 

 externally. The canines are slightly separated from the incisors. 



1. LICHANOTUS BREVICAUDATUS SHORT-TAILED 



INDRL 



Syn. Lemur Indri. — Linn. Gmel. 



Indri BREVICAUDATUS,. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. — Desm. Mam. 



Indri niger Lacepede. 



Indri Macauco Penn. Quadr. No. 14-7. 



Icon. L'Indrl — Audeb. Sing. — Sonner.^ Voy. II. pi. 88. 



SPECIFIC characters. 



The Hair brownish-black ; a large spot on each side, reddish above, 

 and yellowish below ; the crupper and tail white. 

 The Tail very short. 



This species, the only one distinctly known, [almost] without a 

 tail, is three feet high, black, with a grey face, and white buttocks. 

 The inhabitants of Madagascar tame the short-tailed Indri, and even 

 train it, like a Dog, for the chase. 



The name Indri, in the language of Madagascar, denotes Man-of-the- 

 Woods, and notwithstanding its inferior size, it possesses many claims to 

 the appellation. M. Audebert, indeed, remarks, that the Indri, of all 

 known animals, bears altogether the closest resemblance to Man ; and 

 this not onlv in its general contour, but also in its several proportions. We 

 must, however, add, that the differences are most conspicuous ; the head 

 is shaped somewhat like that of a Fox; there is a tail, though it is very 

 short ; and the hind feet are truly hands, making it completely quadru- 

 manous. 



It has been stated above, that this Maki is tamed and reared to the 

 chase. This circumstance is the more worthy of observation, because 

 most of the animals which Man has domesticated and taught to assist him 

 in hunting, are themselves of predatory habits, as, for example, the Dogs, 

 the Weasels, the Chetah, and the Falcons. The Indri, on the other 

 hand, feeds wholly on vegetables, and is, moreover, a harmless creature, 

 delighting in fruits, and having no thirst for blood. 



This animal is three feet and a half high ; and the lower limbs are very 

 nearly equal in length to the body ; its snout is long, and the ears are 

 short and round ; the tail is remarkably short. All the nails on the ex- 

 tremities are flat (with the exception of that of the first finger of the 

 hinder hand, which is a strong claw), and terminate in a very acute point, 

 in which respect they possibly differ from those of Man. In colour it is 

 almost black ; its fur is silky and abundant. The muzzle, the arm-pits, 

 and lower part of the abdomen, are grey, and the buttocks are white, 

 where also the hair is woolly, and curled as iu the Sheep. Its eye is 

 white and very lively ; its cry hke that of a weeping child. 



1 Liclianotus.. — From "hi^anog, the first finger. 



' SoNKER. Vov — Voyage aux Indes Orientales et a la Chine fait par ordre du Roi, depuis 1774 a 1781, par M. Sonnerat. Paris, 1762. 



