104 THE FAUNA OF 



the consequences of their own incapacity for defence. 

 The tropical forests offer great possibilities in the way 

 of shelter and protection, and it is therefore not remark- 

 able that various forms should show special adapta^ 

 tions to life here. The most striking of these adaptations 

 are those shown by a very aberrant animal, the so- 

 caUed flying lemur (Galeopithecus), of which two 

 species occur, one in the Malay Peninsula, Borneo, 

 Sumatra, and adjacent regions, and the other in the 

 Philippine Islands. The flying lemur is about the size 

 of a cat, and resembles the flying squirrels of temperate 

 forests in having a parachute of skin extending from 

 the fore to the hind limbs, which enables it to take 

 flying leaps from tree to tree. The membrane is, how- 

 ever, better developed, in that it involves the tail as 

 well as the limbs. The fingers and toes are short and 

 strongly clawed, and they, together with the slightly 

 prehensile tail, enable the animal to swarm up trees, 

 for it cannot fly in the sense of ascending against 

 gravity. It feeds upon leaves, and has strongly cusped 

 front teeth, presumably for the purpose of nibbling the 

 leaves. The animal altogether offers a curious example 

 of adaptation to forest life. 



In the same region as the flying lemur, but extend- 

 ing also into the mainland of India and Burma, we find 

 the little tree-shrews (Tupaia), which so far as adapta- 

 tions go may be said to be comparable to ordinary 

 squirrels, as Galeopithecus is to flying squirrels. The 

 tree-shrews are very like squirrels in appearance, 

 though smaller than most. The feet are naked beneath, 

 with sharp claws to allow the animals to cling to the 

 rough bark, the tail is long and bushy, and the animals 

 use their forefeet like squirrels in feeding, sitting up 

 on their hind-legs and holding the insects or fruits in 



