I.0RI8 OnACILIS. 15 



Tlie slow-faced Lemur is only found, within our limits, in the most east- 

 em portion of Bengal, Rungpore, Dacca, &c. It keeps to the forests, and 

 IS quite nocturnal in its habits, sleeping in the day time in holes of trees, 

 and coming forth at night to feed on leaves and shoots of trees, fruit ; and 

 also, it is said, insects and small birds. 



Sir W. Jones, in 4th Vol. Asiatic Eesearches, gives an interesting ac- 

 count of one kept in captivity by him. It is stated to sleep with its head 

 downwards, suspended by the hooked claw of the thumb of the hind feet. 

 It closes its eyelids diagonally, the lower one having most motion. The 

 intestines of one examined were 64 inches long; and the coecum 3^ 

 inches. 



Gen. LoRis, Schreber. 



Body and limbs slender ; no tail ; eyes very large, almost contiguous ; 

 nose, acute, slightly ascending ; otherwise as in Nycticebus. 



11. Loris gracilis. 



Lemur apud Shaw. — L. ceylonicus, Fischer. — Blyth, Cat. 48. — Te- 

 vangar, Tarn. — Dewantsi-pilli, Tel. Sloth of Europeans in Madras, &c. 



The Slender Lemur. 



Descr. — ^Above of a grayish rufescent color ; beneath, the same but paler ; 

 a white triangular spot on the forehead extending down the nose ; fur, 

 short, dense and soft ; ears, thin, rounded. 

 ' Length of one, about 8 inches ; arm, 5 ; leg, 5-^. 



I believe that this curious little animal is found in most of the forests of 

 Southern India, but it is difScult to find owing to its small size and noc- 

 turnal habits, and it generally escapes the observation of travellers. It 

 does not appear to be common, or at all events well known in the Malabar 

 Coast, yet I have heard of it near there. It is, however, very abundant in 

 the forests of the Eastern Ghats, and large numbers are brought alive at 

 times to the Madras market, their eyes being a highly esteemed remedy 

 for" certain diseases of the eyes among the Tamul doctors. 



This lemur is of course quite nocturnal, and it is said to eat fruit, young 

 leaves, insects, eggs, and young birds. In confinement it will eat boiled 

 rice, plantains, honey or syrup ; and also it is stated, raw meat. Though 

 slow in its motions in general, it can make its way along a branch with 

 considerable activity, and its grasp is very tenacious. Several made their 



