110 



MA.MAIALIA. 



In tlic Inrlian Archipelago there is one nearly the size of a Cat (Sc. pelanrisla, Lin.) ; but the same Archipelago 

 produces smaller ones, as the .S'c. sagitta, distinguished from the rest, the small ones especially, by its incnjljraue, 

 which, as in Pt. petaurista, forms an acute projecting ant'le behind the tarsus. 



[M. 1'. Cuvier has subdivided this group into the Taguans (Pteromi/s), and Assapans (Sciiiroj/lcriis), which 

 hatter term he applies to the smaller species, the hairs on the tail of which are arranged distachouoly : there are 

 several eastern species, however, which appear to connect the two together.] 



The Aye-Aye {Clieiromys, C'uv.), — 

 The inferior incisors of which are still more comiiressed, and above all, more extended from front to 

 back, resembUng plough-shares. Theu- feet have each five toes, of which four of tlie antenor are 

 excessively elongated ; the niedius lieing much more slender than the others ; in the hind-feet, the 

 thumb is opposable to the other digits ; so that in this respect these animals are to the other rodents, 

 wdiat the Opossums are among the Carnaria* Tlic structure of their head is othcrnise very ditferciit 

 from that of the other Rodentia, presenting a closer relationship ^\ith the Quadrumatia [among wdiich 

 this remarkable genus is now ranged by almost general consent. It is, in fact, in the aggregate of its 

 conformation, a Lemuriue animal : in which group we have already seen that the lower canines are 

 singularly modified, projecting forwards, and Ijeing ajiprcvimated to each other ; insomuch that the 

 inteiTcning incisors (except in Galceopithecus) are consequently extremely compressed and narrow, 

 one pair of them beiug even sacrificed in the Indris. In the present genus, the whole of the incisors 

 disappear, as in the ordinan- Rodealia ; the canines of both jaws occupying their site : hut it is very 

 doubtful whether, as in the true Kodents, these teeth have persistent formative pulps, as there docs 

 not exist another known instance of continuously growing teeth in any animal pertaining to the great 

 divisions of Primaria and Carnaria.f What little is known of the osteology of Cheirotnys is strictly 

 Lemurinc ; and no rodent possesses the rotation of the hones of the 

 fore-arm, and free separate movement of the limbs as prehensile in- 

 struments, which are oljscrvcd in this genus. Its habitat even is 

 Madagascar, the metropolis of the Lemurinc group of animals.] 



One species only is known, discovered by Sonnerat {Hciurus madagaacar- 

 iensis, Gm.) ; as lar^e as a Hare, of a brown colour, tinged with yellow ; tail 

 long and thick, with some black bristles; and large naked ears. It is a 

 nocturnal animal, the movements of which seem painful to it ; lives in 

 burrows, and employs its long slender digit to con\-ey food to Us un.iuth. 



Linuicus and Pallas have brought together in one single group, 

 under the general name of 



R.VTS (J/iw, Lin.),— 

 All the rodents possessed of clavicles wdiich they could not distin- 

 guish by some obvious external character, such as the tail of the 

 \y ' ^ Squirrels or that of the Beaver ; from whicli resulted tin' utter innios- 

 siliility of assigning to them any comniou character: the greater 

 number had merely pointed lower incisors, but even this character 

 was suljject to exceptions. 

 Is ii— ic.vyc «>€. Gmelin has .already separated the Marmots, Dormice, ami Jerboas; 



but we carry tbeif suljdivision much further, from considerations founded on the form of tlieir 



The M-\rmots {Arcloniijs, Cm.) — 

 Have, it is true, the inferior incisors pointed, as in the greater number of animals comprised in tlic 

 great genus of Rats ; but, as in the Squirrels [to wdiich superior group they indubitably appertain], 

 tliey have live molars on each side above, and four below, all of them shaqjly tubercnlated ; accord- 

 ingly, some of the specie:, are inclined to cat flesh, and feed upon insects as well as vegetaljles. Thcv 

 liave four toes, and a tubercle in place of a thumb, to their fore-feet ; and five toes to their hind feet. 

 In other respects, these animals are nearly the direct reverse of the Squirrels; being hea\}^, witli short 

 hmbs, a hairy tail of middle length or short, a large flat head, and they pass the ^villte^ in a state of 



