•218 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
the southernmost cape, St. Marie, off a most inhospitable and arid shore. A long row of sand dunes 
without a trace of vegetation, bounded, in the background, a low coast-line of rocks, which extended 
far into the shallow sea, being constantly hidden by furious waves. Not a trace of man or of 
dwellings could be seen. The sand dunes slope towards the sea at a high angle, and are at least 150 
yards high. Their tops are flat, and continue backwards into the country for some distance. They 
are composed of broken shells, and are covered here and there by a stunted spiny vegetation. It was 
on the slopes of these dunes that Grandidier found portions of the eggs of the extinct colossal bird 
^Epyornis. Beyond the dunes is a vast plain without even small hills, and covered with a scanty 
vegetation of groups of deformed trees ; but in the remote distance hills are seen, and then there are 
numerous forests. 
Some species of Indris live in these stunted forests of deformed trees, in bands of ten or twelve, and 
never come to the ground except when pressed by hunger. When seen under such circumstances, they 
stand up on their hind* feet, their tail hanging behind them, and they advance by little hopdike 
motions, resembling those of a child that jumps with its feet tied together. 
They are nearly white in colour, and are called Sifac by the natives (page 212), and are looked 
upon with veneration, for they are not veiy unlike very small men in general shape, especially when they 
stand erect. In common with all the Indris, they are slim, tall, long-legged animals, with very strong 
feet, with a large and well-formed thumb-like opposable great toe. The head is very furry, and the ears, 
tufted with hair, are almost, but not quite, hidden, whilst the muzzle, moderate in length, projects 
between the staring eyes. They have a longish neck, and the body seems to be compressed at the sides. 
All the fur is soft, and stands out, and that of the tail makes it like a Fox’s brush, but is more slim 
and cylindrical. 
But there is a curious arrangement of the fingers, for the index finger of the hand (that is to say, 
the first finger, not counting the thumb) is shorter than the fifth, so that their “ fore finger ” is a little 
finger. The toe-thumb is placed widely from the toes, and rather backwardly, and the toes are united 
together by a kind of fold or web of the skin which reaches up to the first joint ; moreover, the first 
toe (not including the toe-thumb) has a curved claw on it. They are not good walkers, any more than 
the Apes, although, like them, they assume the erect position, and it is only on very rare occasions, and 
when it is necessary to cross a tract of land to get to trees with more fruit upon them, that they attempt 
to put the foot to the ground. It is not their natural position, and they seem to be quite out of their 
element. When they come to the. ground they rest on the outer edges of the feet, and soon drop on 
their hands, on the corresponding parts of which they support themselves. So walking is performed 
with difficulty, and not with grace, and in this they may be compared with the Orangs; but in the 
Indris the arms are always shorter than the legs. In the trees and branches, which are their favourite 
haunts, they climb easily, rapidly, and with grace, running along the boughs, jumping to great distances, 
and alighting with unerring certainty, and clinging on with wonderful tenacity. The structure of the 
muscles, bones, and ligaments enables them to lead this active arboreal existence, and so strong is their 
power of grasp, that it remains sometimes after death, for it has happened that in shooting them whilst 
clinging to the branches they have remained suspended after having been mortally wounded, or dead. 
Being dwellers in the foliage of the trees, and amongst the network of branches, twigs, and creepers, 
the kinds of Indris have a choice of many kinds of food. Leaves, buds, fruit, insects, eggs, and small 
birds are constantly within their reach, but usually they do not hunt or chase prey, and are satisfied 
with the best fruit they can find, and other vegetable substances. Nevertheless, they do not despise or 
reject a bird as something out of the common way of diet, and they open the skull and suck the brains. 
The teeth are not very well suited for stopping and killing living prey, for in the grown-up individuals 
there are no lower canines, there being only an upper pair, and thus one of the most important seizing 
and killing arrangements is absent. On the other hand there are plenty of crushing teeth, with sharp 
points to them, which enable the Indris to champ fruit without much side to side movement of the jaw 
being permitted. There are two false, or premolars on either side in both jaws, and three molar 
teeth behind them. Besides these there are four front teeth in both jaws. In all there are thirty 
teeth, a smaller number than in any of the animals yet considered. 
The upper front teeth, or incisors (four in number only), project forwards very slightly, and nearly 
bite up and down ; but the four lower front teeth (incisors) project well forwards, and the outer pair of 
