BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE. 147 



there next morning. When found he was unable to speak, 

 with his tongue protruding from his mouth. His clerk who 

 found him, cut the clothes round his neck, and managed 

 eventually to recover him. In the second case a lady in 

 Singapore was bitten by a Loris on the hand,, and her mouth 

 and tongue swelled up very much, but the swelling went down 

 towards evening. No other part of the body seemed to be 

 affected by the bites. The natives all know of the danger of 

 the bite of the animal, but it is said that it is only dangerous 

 when fresh caught, and after it has been in captivity for some- 

 time it is not poisonous. 



The weird appearance of the Loris with its large round eyes, 

 and its habit of covering its face with its paws has given rise 

 to many tales concerning it. It is supposed to have the 

 faculty of seeing spirits, which is why it covers its face, as pre- 

 sumably it does not want to see them. Its use in native 

 medicine with other superstitions about it have been published 

 in the Journ. Eoy. As. Soc. S. Br. vol. 34. 



Galeopithecus volans. 



The flying lemur, is common in many of the Singapore 

 woods, but it is not easy to get or keep in captivity. I have had 

 young ones taken from the mother when killed twice, and 

 endeavoured to rear them. They took milk readily but died in a 

 few days from cold, as it seemed impossible to keep them dry. 

 An adult captured in Singapore was kept for some days, and was 

 being taught to live on bananas, when it managed to escape. In 

 a wild state they live on leaves, the intestines of those killed 

 being usually packed with nibbled up leaves, but the animals in 

 captivity would not eat such leaves as I offered them. Their 

 cry in the forests resembles the quacking of a duck. 



Felid^e. 



Felis tigris. 



Five or more tigers have been kept in the garden at differ- 

 ent times. They are always easily procurable, but usually the 

 funds of the garden were not large enough for the keep of so 



R. A. Soc, No. 46, 1906. 



