MARMOSETS AND LEMURS 
17 
delicately-formed creatures, with hairless faces, 
eyes that are large and bright, and long tails. 
Their hair is long, abundant and silky, and in 
some species it stands up on the top of the head 
like a white ruff. As these frail little creatures 
perch motionless in their cages, and focus their 
brown eyes upon the visitor, they seem more 
like little toys than living animals of Man’s own 
Order. They are really very odd, picturesque 
and interesting. 
The Pinche Marmoset 1 is a good repre- 
sentative of this group. It comes from the 
United States of Colombia, is about as large as 
a small chipmunk, and can be recognized any- 
where by the jaunty bonnet of white hair which 
stands stiffly erect on the top of its head. 
Of marmosets there are altogether about twen- 
ty-one species. The best-known are the Com- 
mon Marmoset , 2 with a fan of white hairs 
standing stiffly erect above each ear, and the 
Silky Marmoset , 3 which is half buried in a 
mop of long, silky, yellowish hair. 
THE SUBORDER OF LEMURS. 
Lemur oidea. 
On the great island of Madagascar there are 
no fewer than thirty species of lemurs, many 
of them very beautiful creatures, all very kind- 
spirited and inoffensive, and so numerous that 
some travellers have declared that “every bush 
has its lemur.” And yet, in America, these 
creatures are about as little known as if they 
inhabited Mars instead of Madagascar. During 
the first six months following the opening of the 
Primates’ House in the Zoological Park, at least 
twenty educated and intelligent young men 
asked how to spell the word “lemur.” 
The lemurs, tarsiers and aye-aye constitute 
the lowest grand division of the Ape-and-Mon- 
key Order — Primates. Their low position is 
due chiefly to their long, fox-like muzzles, and 
their teeth, which are not monkey-like. Their 
hands and feet, however, define their position. 
The Ruffed, or Black-and-White Lemur 4 
is the handsomest and most conspicuous animal 
in this strange group. It is the size of a large 
house cat, its tail is very long, and the creature 
is abundantly clothed with long, soft, silky-fine 
fur, jet black and pure white. 
1 Mi' das aed'i-pus. 2 Mi' das ros-a'li-a. 
3 Cal'li-thrix jac'chus. 4 Le'mur va'ri-us. 
Sanborn, Photo., N. Y. Zoological Park. 
THE RUFFED LEMUR. 
Although lemurs have large eyes, and are 
supposed to be night-prowlers, they are fairly 
active in the daytime, and are not at all dis- 
turbed by daylight. They are charming pets, 
very affectionate, easily kept, and even with 
twenty in one large cage they do not quarrel, as 
monkeys are so prone to do. 
Keeping Monkeys in Captivity. — Large 
monkeys need large cages, with means to climb 
and swing. Fine hay should cover the floor. 
Cages should always stand three feet above the 
floor of a room, and while the ventilation should 
be good, there should be freedom from draughts. 
The temperature should be 75°, kept as even 
as possible. Food : boiled rice or tapioca, baked 
or boiled potatoes, ripe bananas or apples; a 
little raw meat, finely chopped ; dried or parched 
sweet corn that is easily chewed; a little stale 
bread; occasionally, a small raw onion. Per- 
mit no teasing; feed regularly, water frequently, 
and keep cages clean. When monkeys become 
ill, carefully ascertain their trouble, then treat 
them the same as one would sick children. 
