SEMI-APES. 163 



group from which all other Discoplacentals, and perhaps 

 even all Deciduous Animals, have developed as divergent 

 branches. (Cf. Tables XXIII. and XXIV.) 



The Semi-apes (Prosimice) are now represented only by 

 very few forms. These, however, are very interesting, and 

 must be regarded as the last remnants of a group once rich 

 in forms. This group is certainly very ancient, and was 

 probably very prominent during the Eocene Epoch. Their 

 present degraded descendants are scattered widely over the 

 southern portion of the Old World. Most of the species 

 inhabit Madagascar ; a few the Sunda Islands ; a few others 

 the continents of Asia and Africa. No living or fossil Semi- 

 apes have, as yet, been found in Europe, America, or Aus- 

 tralia. ^^^ The widely scattered posterity of the Semi-apes 

 is considerably diversified. Some forms seem nearly allied 

 to the Marsupials, especially to the Pouched-rats. Others 

 (Macrotarsi) are very near akin to the Insect-eaters, and 

 yet others (CheiroTHiys) to the Gnawers (Rodentia). . One 

 genus (Galeopithecus) forms a direct transition to the Bats. 

 Finally, some of the Semi-apes {Brachytarsi) approach very 

 near to true Apes. Among the latter are some tail-less forms 

 {e.g., the Lori, Stenops, Fig. 199). From these highly in- 

 teresting and important relations of the Semi-apes to the 

 various Discoplacental orders, we may fairly infer that 

 of the extant representatives of this group, they are the 

 nearest to the common primitive parent-form. Among the 

 direct common ancestors of Apes and Men, there must have 

 been some Deciduata which we should class among the 

 Semi-apes, were we to see them alive. We may therefore 

 consider this order as a special stage, following the Pouched 

 Animals, as the eighteenth stage in the human pedigree. 



