248 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
pine and die. One was particularly noticed. If the room was perfectly quiet about dusk, it ventured 
about, crawling along the rails of the chairs with a very gentle movement. There was an interval of 
nearly a minute in the closing of its hands on the parts of the furniture which it grasped in succes- 
sion, while moving its head from side to side with much grave deliberation. But when a Spider or 
other insect came within its reach, its clutch at it was quick as lightning, and with equal rapidity 
it was conveyed to the mouth. It seemed particularly anxious to avoid having its hinder extremities 
touched. When approached, it retiringly slunk along the stick placed slantingly in the corner for 
its use, or along the back of the chair, with the usual deliberate movement. Its great goggle eyes 
would be fixed immovably on your face or hands if held towards it, and with every expression of fear. 
Its mouth appears small, and so little distensible that one cannot imagine it capable of biting anything 
except it be of very small size. The natives, nevertheless, assert that it destroys Peacocks in the 
jungle, seizing them by the neck, which it clutches with such tenacity that the bird soon falls exhausted 
to the ground off its perch, or in its sudden flight, attempting to escape its persecutor. Having 
devoured the brain, the Loris leaves the rest of the body untouched.” Among the others in his pos- 
session, Templeton alludes to a female which gave birth to a young one. u This latter, when ushered 
into the world, was about two inches long, like a Mouse, perfectly without hairy covering, a large 
head, attenuated body, and excessively slender legs. The face and eyes were proportionally much 
smaller than in the older animal. It clung to the mother so tenaciously, that I believe it would 
almost have parted with its life than let go its hold.” This baby Loris, he remarks, was not at all 
entitled to the usual appellation, Dog-like. 
Sir J. Emerson Tennent says that the Slender Loris, from its sluggish movements, nocturnal 
habits, and consequent inaction during the day, has acquired the name of the “ Ceylon Sloth.” 
According to him there are two varieties in the island ; one of the ordinary fulvous brown, and 
another larger, whose fur is entirely black. A specimen of the former was sent to him from Chilaw.. 
on the western coast, and lived for some time at Colombo, feeding on rice, fruit, and vegetables. It 
was partial to Ants and other insects, and always eager for milk or the bone of a Fowl. The natural 
slow motion of its limbs enables the Loris to approach its prey so stealthily that it seizes birds before 
they can be alarmed by its presence. During the day one which he kept was usually asleep in the 
strange position shown in the woodcut (p. 247), its perch firmly grasped with its hands, its back curved 
into a ball of soft fur, and its head hidden deep between its legs. The singularly large and intense eyes 
of the Loris have attracted the attention of the Cinghalese, who capture the creature for the purpose of 
extracting them as charms and love-potions, and this they are said to effect by holding the little 
animal to the fire till its eyeballs burst. Its Tamil name is theivangu , or “ thin-bodied ; ” and hence 
a deformed child or an emaciated person has acquired in the Tamil districts the same epithet. The 
light-coloured variety of the Loris in Ceylon ha s a spot on its forehead, somewhat resembling the 
nctmam, or mark worn by the worshippers of Vishnu ; and from this peculiarity it is distinguished as 
the JYama-theivangu. 
A curious animal, differing from the foregoing Slow Lemuroids, but Asiatic in its distribution, is 
the only species of the genus Tarsius. 
GENUS TARSIUS.— THE SPECTRE TARSIER, OR TARSIUS. 
THE MALMAG.* 
This is a small, active creature, which appears to excite great terror in the minds of the 
natives of the East Indian Archipelago, from its curious-shaped face, and sudden appearance at 
dusk. So impressed are the inhabitants of some portions of Java with its malevolent influence, 
that if they see one of them on a tree near their rice-grounds, they will leave them uncultivated. 
About the size of a small, common Squirrel, this tiny cause of fright has a round head, like 
that of a Marmoset, a pointed muzzle, large ears, and staring eyes. Its grinning mouth gives a queer 
and comical look to the face. Its body is about six inches in length. The limbs are long, espe- 
cially the hind pair, and the tail — about nine inches long — is slender, and furnished with a brush 
of long hair at the end. The colour of the body is fawn-brown as a rule, and the bare parts 
Tarsius spectrum (Geoffroy). 
