LEMUROWEA. 727 



Order Lemuroidea (Syn. Prosimle, Lemurs). 



These monkey-like animals are sometimes ranked with 

 monkeys as a sub-order of Primates ; but there seems more 

 warrant for placing them in a separate order. They differ 

 from monkeys and men (Anthropoidea) in the following 

 points : — The orbit opens freely into the temporal fossa 

 (except in Tarsius) ; the lachrymal foramen lies outside the 

 orbit ; the first pair of upper incisors is separated in the 

 middle line (except in Chiromys) ; the second digit of 

 the foot always bears a pointed claw, but all the others 

 have fiat nails ; the cerebral hemispheres are but slightly 

 convoluted, and do not completely overlap the cerebellum ; 

 the middle or transverse portion of the colon is almost 

 always folded or convoluted on itself; there may be 

 abdominal as well as thoracic mammas ; the uterus is 

 bicornuate ; the placenta is diffuse. The dentition varies 

 greatly; the maximum is 2133. 



The lemurs are small, furry quadrupeds, with fox-like 

 faces but the general appearance of monkeys. Most are 

 nocturnal, all arboreal. The first digit is always opposable. 

 They feed on fruits and leaves, on eggs and small animals. 

 Seven genera occur in Madagascar, three in the African 

 continent, and other three here and there in the Oriental 

 forests as far east as the Philippines and Celebes. 



There are three chief types : — 



(a) That of the Lemuridse, e.g. in Madagascar Lemur, and the 



large Indris (2 ft. long), in Africa Galago, in Malay 

 Nycticebits, in India and Ceylon Loris. 



(b) Tarsius, a. specialised Indo-Malayan type, with many peculiar- 



ities, e.g. the calcaneum and navicular are elongated like the 

 calcaneum and astragalus in the frog. 



(c) Chiromys, the Aye-Aye, a specialised Madagascar type, with 



many peculiarities, e.g. with a. Rodent-like rootless front 



tooth (incisor above, incisor or canine (?) below), and with a 



very much attenuated third finger, used for excavating 



insects from holes. 



The lemurs are interesting, both because they link the Anthropoidea 



to lower Mammals, and because of their distribution. In Tertiary 



times they were abundant in Europe and N. America, and were 



then of generalised type. In the latter continent they became extinct ; 



but in the Old World they appear to have migrated southwards at an early 



period into Africa and India. They reached Madagascar at a time 



when that island was connected to the continent, and before the advent 



of the larger carnivores. There they have been isolated and have 



