POTTO. 95 



this genus, and is said by Mons. Sonnerat, its 

 first describer, to be three feet and a half high. 

 It is said to be a gentle and docile animal, and to 

 be trained, when taken young, for the chace, in 

 the manner of a dog. Its voice resembles the 

 crying of an infant. It is a native of Madagascar, 

 where it is known by the name of Indri, which is 

 said to signify the man of the wood. The nails in 

 this species are flat, but pointed at the ends ; and 

 there is no appearance of a tail. The front or 

 cutting teeth in the upper jaw are four, accord- 

 ing to Mons. Geoffroy (Magaz. Encyclopedique), 

 not two, as mentioned by Mr. Sonnerat. 



POTTO. 



Lemur Potto. L. caudatus subferrugineus , cauda nnicolore. Lin. 



Syst. Nat. Qmel. p. 42. 

 Tailed subferruginous Lemur, with tail of the same colour. 

 Potto. Bosman Gitin. 2. p. 30./". 4. 



This seems at present an obscure species ; 

 known only from the description and figure in 

 Bosnian's account of Guinea. This description 

 states that the animal is called Potto by the na- 

 tives, but by the Europeans Sloth, from the ex- 

 treme slowness of its motions. He then proceeds 

 to give the usual description of the manners at- 

 tributed to the real Sloth, such as its scarce being 

 able to walk ten paces in a day; its eating up all 

 the fruit and leaves of a tree, and thus becoming 



