MAMMALIA. 493 
the fores‘s, suspended like bats from the branches, with the head downwards, 
and clinging by their hind claws. They are active at night, and traverse 
the trees in all directions, sweeping from one to another with great address 
in search of their food, which consists of fruit, eggs, birds, &e. The flying 
lemur (G. rufus or volans) is represented on pl. 117, fig. 1. 
Fam. 8. LEMURIDA (Prosimice or makis). The animals which compose 
this family have, like the monkeys, opposable thumbs on both pairs of 
extremities. The number and form of the teeth are very variable. The 
general form of the body is slender and elongated; the head pointed and 
somewhat fox-like. The nostrils terminate at the end of the snout, which 
is sharp, naked, and somewhat pointed. The eyes are large, as in all 
nocturnal animals. The first and sometimes the two first fingers of the 
hind feet are terminated by a long curved. claw, a character which at once 
distinguishes’ the lemurs from the other Quadrumana. The tail varies in 
length; sometimes it is large, and sometimes nearly absent ; never prehen- 
sile. The teeth are more adapted to an animal diet than in the typical 
Quadrumana; and they show great address in seizing their food, as well as 
courage in defending themselves when attacked. The hind limbs greatly 
exceed the anterior ones in length, and make of these animals agile leapers. 
The greatest number, however, are active only during night, spending the 
whole day in sleep, and always secluding themselves from the light, which 
seems painful to them. 
~ Animals belonging to this family are not known in a fossil state. 
The genus Lemur (makis) includes those species which have been called 
fox-nosed monkeys, on account of their pointed head. The ears are very 
small. Their food consists of fruit. The species are numerous and only 
met with in Madagascar, where they replace the monkeys, none of which 
are found there. One of them (L. macaco) is represented in pl. 117, fig. 12. 
Another, L. pusillus (fig. 11), is the type of the genus Microcebus of some 
authors. | 
The genus Izchanotus (indris) resembles Lemur, but instead of six 
molars in the lower jaw, it has only four of them. A species (L. indrv) 
deprived of a tail, and three feet high, is tamed by the inhabitants of 
Madagascar. © 
The genus Stenops (loris), the species of which are called the lazy mon- 
keys, have teeth like the lemur, except the molars, the points of which are 
more acute. The snout is short, the body slender, the tail absent, the eyes 
large, and the tongue rough. They feed on insects, and occasionally on 
small birds and quadrupeds. Their gait is excessively slow; their habits 
are nocturnal. The species inhabit the Kast Indies. 
The genus Otolicnus (galago) has the teeth and insectivorous habits of 
the preceding genus. ‘The tarsi are elongated, and produce a disproportion 
in the dimensions of the hind feet. The tail is long and tufted; the ears 
large and membranous; the eyes very great. The species are African, 
one of which (@. senegalensis) is represented on pi. 117, fig. 10. 
The genus Zarsivs has an elongated tarsus, and all other details of form 
belonging tothe preceding genus; but the space between the molars and - 
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