Tlie Habits of the Aye-Aye. 379 



outlines of superjacent vaporous masses, as to produce a degree 

 of entanglement requiring a long period for the extrication of 

 anything like a reliable result. 



Our readers will have easily perceived the bearing of these 

 remarks upon the recent position and aspect of the planet 

 Maes. How far a correspondence between the two globes 

 may be made out, and where the analogy seems to escape us, 

 is an interesting subject of inquiry, as to which, it may be 

 hoped that some of them may have been providing themselves 

 with materials for comparison and reflection. 



THE HABITS OF THE AYE-AYE. 



BY W. B. TEGETMEIEE. 



The opportune arrival of a living mature female Aye-aye at the 

 Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park, has enabled observations to 

 be made regarding its habits and food which tend to modify- 

 very considerably the suggestions which were thrown out by 

 Dr. Sandwith and Professor Owen, and which were embodied in 

 a paper published in the first volume of the Intellectual 

 Observer. 



For the greater number of the facts contained in the follow- 

 ing short account of the habits of the animal as exhibited in 

 confinement, I must express my obligations to Mr. Bartlett, the 

 superintendent of the gardens, who is ever ready to impart 

 information, and to afford every facility for the furtherance of 

 zoological research. 



For an account of the structure of this singular and anoma- 

 lous animal, I must refer to the paper previously published, Vol. 

 I. p. 130, where its singular combination of the squirrel-like 

 gnawing teeth of a rodent with the grinders and extremities of 

 a quadrumanous animal, are illustrated and described in detail. 



In confinement the Aye-aye proves to be a nocturnal 

 animal; during the day it sleeps curled up and covered by its 

 bushy tail. In the night, however dark, Mr. Bartlett states 

 that it moves about in its cage, and gnaws holes in the timber 

 with its powerful rodent incisors. When undisturbed it not 

 tmfrequently hangs suspended by the hind claws, and uses the 

 elongated probe-like finger of the hand for the purpose of clean- 

 ing and combing the tail, it being passed through the long hairs 

 of that organ with great rapidity ; this attenuated finger is also 

 used for the purpose of picking the ears, eyes, and nose, the 

 other fingers being partially closed. The supposed adaptation 

 of this animal's peculiar organization to insectivorous habits, 



