MONKEYS AND APES. 



303 



That the lemurs, though now restricted to Madagascar, 

 eastern Asia, and South Africa, were preceded by still more 

 generalized types on the American continent, is indicated 

 by the discovery of fossil bones in the Eocene beds of the 

 Rocl<y IMountains, referred by Marsh and Cope to the Pri- 

 mates; Marsh stating that the principal parts of the skele- 



# 





Fio. 336.— Galago. From Lutken's Zoology. 



ton are "much as in some of the lemurs." Tlie genus 

 Anaptomorphus of the Western Tertiary beds is a small 

 lemur-like form, said by Coj)e to be the most like the apes 

 of any yet discovered. 



Allied to the true lemurs is a very puzzling creature, the 

 aye-aye or Cliiromys, of Madagascar, whose dentition dif- 

 fers from that of all other Primates, and resembles that of 

 the Eodents; the thumb also is not truly opposable, and 

 all the hind digits, except the great toes, have claw like 



