MARMOSETS AND LEMURS 



17 



delicately-formed creatures, with hairless faces, 

 eyes that are large and bright, and long tails. 

 Their hair is long, abundant and silky, and in 

 some species it stands up on the top of the head 

 like a white ruff. As these frail little creatures 

 perch motionless in their cages, and focus their 

 brown eyes upon the visitor, they seem more 

 like little toys than living animals of Man's own 

 Order. They are really very odd, picturesque 

 and interesting. 



The Pinche Marmoset ' is a good repre- 

 sentative of this group. It comes from the 

 United States of Colombia, is about as large as 

 a small chipmunk, and can be recognized any- 

 where by the jaunty bonnet of white hair which 

 stands stiffly erect on the top of its head. 



Of marmosets there are altogether about twen- 

 ty-one species. The best-known are the Com- 

 mon Marmoset, 3 with a fan of white hairs 

 standing stiffly erect above each ear, and the 

 Silky Marmoset, 3 which is half buried in a 

 mop of long, silk}', yellowish hair. 



THE SUBORDER OF LEMURS. 



Lemuroidea. 



On the great island of Madagascar there are 

 no fewer than thirty species of lemurs, many 

 of them very beautiful creatures, all very kind- 

 spirited and inoffensive, and so numerous that 

 some travellers have declared that "every bush 

 has its lemur." And yet, in America, these 

 creatures are about as little known as if they 

 inhabited Mars instead of Madagascar. During 

 the first six months following the opening of the 

 Primates' House in the Zoological Park, at least 

 twenty educated and intelligent young men 

 asked how to spell the word "lemur." 



The lemurs, tarsiers and aye-aye constitute 

 the lowest grand division of the Ape-and-Mon- 

 key Order — Primates. Their low position is 

 due chiefly to their long, fox-like muzzles, and 

 their teeth, which are not monkey-like. Their 

 hands and feet, however, define their position. 



The Ruffed, or Black-and-White Lemur 4 

 is the handsomest and most conspicuous animal 

 in this strange group. It is the size of a large 

 house cat, its tail is very long, and the creature 

 is abundantly clothed with long, soft, silky-fine 

 fur, jet black and pure white. 



1 Mi'das aed'i-pus. 

 3 Cal'li-thrix jac'chus. 



2 Mi'das ros-a'li-a. 

 ' Le'mur va'ri-us. 



Sanborn, Photo., N. Y. Zoological Park. 



THE RUFFED LEMUR. 



Although lemurs have large eyes, and are 

 supposed to be night-prowlers, they are fairly 

 active in the daytime, and are not at all dis- 

 turbed by daylight. They are charming pets, 

 very affectionate, easily kept, and even with 

 twenty in one large cage they do not quarrel, as 

 monkeys are so prone to do. 



Keeping Monkeys in Captivity. — Large 

 monkeys need large cages, with means to climb 

 and swing. Fine hay should cover the floor. 

 Cages should always stand three feet above the 

 floor of a room, and while the ventilation should 

 be good, there should be freedom from draughts. 

 The temperature should be 75°, kept as even 

 as possible. Food : boiled rice or tapioca, baked 

 or boiled potatoes, ripe bananas or apples; a 

 little raw meat, finely chopped; dried or parched 

 sweet corn that is easily chewed; a little stale 

 bread; occasionally, a small raw onion. Per- 

 mit no teasing; feed regularly, water frequently, 

 and keep cages clean. When monkeys become 

 ill, carefully ascertain their trouble, then treat 

 them the same as one would sick children. 



