194 MARVELS OF THE ANIMAL WORLD 



its weight upon the sides of its inturned feet, and 

 applies the whole length of its fore -arms to the 

 ground. 



Some creatures are remarkable in the fact that 

 they are provided with suckers upon their feet 

 which enable them to progress in almost any posi- 

 tion. Of the mammals thus endowed are to be 

 numbered the tarsier and the hyraces. The former 

 creature belongs to the monkey family, and is 

 found in the Malay region. It attains to the size 

 of a small squirrel, is nocturnal and arboreal in 

 habits, and resembles a miniature kangaroo in the 

 great development of its hind legs. The digits 

 of its hands and feet terminate in round and flat- 

 tened discs which serve as adhesive pads. 



Of the several species of hyraces, that known as 

 the dassie, khp-das, rock-badger, or Cape hyrax 

 is probably the most familiar. Although greatly 

 resembling a rabbit both in appearance and size, 

 yet the animal is not a rodent but belongs to the 

 Ungulates and claims close relationship with the 

 rhinoceros. It is, however, the remarkable struc- 

 ture of its feet that we wish to draw special atten- 

 tion to, for not only are the naked soles provided 

 with numerous glands that render the skin moist, 

 but they are also furnished with certain muscles 

 that can be contracted in such a manner as to 

 convert the soles of the feet into suckers by means 

 of which the creature is able to walk up the per- 

 pendicular face of a rock. 



The tree-frogs and some of the lizards known as 

 geckos also possess digital pads which enable them 



