254 
NATURAL HISTORY. 
in ill directions by a large and destructive grub called here tlie Montorek. Just at sunset the Aye- Aye 
crept from under his blanket, yawned, stretched, and betook himself to his tree, where his movements 
were lively and graceful, though by no means as quick as those of a Squirrel. Presently he came to one 
of the worm-eaten branches, which he began to examine most attentively ; and bending forward his. 
ears and applying his nose close to the bark, he rapidly tapped the surface with the curious second digit,, 
as a Woodpecker taps a tree, though with much less noise, from time to time inserting the end of the 
slender finger into the worm-holes as a surgeon would a probe. At length he came to a part of the 
branch which evidently gave out an interesting sound, for lie began to tear it with his strong teeth. 
0e rapidly stripped off the bark, cut into the wood, and exposed the nest of a grub, which lie daintily 
picked out of its bed with the slender tapping finger, and conveyed the luscious morsel to his mouth. 
I watched these proceedings with intense interest, and was much struck with the marvellous adaptation 
of the creature to its habits, shown by his acute hearing, which enables him aptly to distinguish the 
different tones emitted from the wood by this gentle tapping, his evidently acute sense of smell aiding 
him in liis search; his secure footsteps on the slender branches to which he firmly clings by his Quad- 
rumanous members ; his strong Rodent teeth enabling him to tear through the wood ; and, lastly, by 
the curious slender finger, Unlike that of any other animal, and which he used alternately as a. 
pleximeter, a probe, and a scoop. But I was yet to learn another peculiarity. I gave him water to- 
drink in a saucer, on which he stretched out a hand, dipped a finger into it, and drew it obliquely 
through his open mouth ; and this lie repeated so rapidly that the water seemed to flow into his mouth. 
After a while he lapped like a Cat ; but his first mode of drinking appeared to me to be his way of 
reaching water in the deep clefts of trees. I am told that the Aye- Aye is an object of veneration at. 
Madagascar, and that if any native touches one he is sure to die within the year; hence the difficulty 
of obtaining a specimen. 1 overcame this difficulty by a reward of ten pounds.” 
Further information on the same subject was obtained by M. Vinson, who states that his Aye- Aye 
slept the greater part of the clay, and moved about and made attempts to escape at night time. 
Ha v ing once succeeded, it climbed to the nearest tree, and moved about, leaping from branch to branch 
with the agility of the Ring-tailed Lemur; but its ordinary life in captivity suggested the idea of its. 
being an indolent and rather slow-moving animal. The tail is carried in a curve, with the hollow of 
the bend downwards, so that it is slightly arched, and its chief office seems to be to add to the warmth 
of the already warm fur when the animal is in repose. In assuming the attitude of rest, the Aye- 
Aye places its head between its hands, and bends the tail over it by curving it forwards and letting it. 
fall. Then it rolls itself into a ball, and covers the whole surface with the bushy hairs of this useful 
appendage, which is longer than the whole body and head together. 
With regard to the Aye- Aye mentioned by Dr. Sand with, Owen advised that, if it could not be 
sent safely to England, it had better be killed by chloroform, and sent over in spirit. Before this, 
advice arrived the animal managed to escape from its confinement, and made for the sugar-canes, 
in a neighbouring plantation, and there the unlucky Aye- Aye was speedily captured. He was. 
martyred for the sake of science, and its description by Owen will last as long as literature, and its. 
skin and bones as long as the British Museum exists. Some, other observers had interested themselves 
about the animal in the interval, and in 1855 M. Licnard is said by Owen to have observed the habits 
of a young male. This one liked mango nuts, and invariably made a hole in the rind with his strong 
front teeth, inserted therein his slender middle digit, and then lowering his mouth to the hole, put 
into it the pulp which the finger had scooped out of the fruit. When one hand was tired it used 
the other, and often changed them. On presenting him with a piece of sugar-cane, he held it by both 
hands, and tearing it open with his teeth, sucked out the juice. M. Vinson had one for two months, 
which was brought from Madagascar to the lie de la Reunion, and he stated that it selected the grubs- 
it liked nest by the sense of smell, and that when cafe an lait or eau maree was offered, it drank by 
passing its long slender finger from the vessel to the mouth with incredible rapidity. 
The Aye- Aye, according to the discovery of M. Soumagne, honorary consul of France in. 
Madagascar, constructs true nests in trees, which resemble enormous ball-shaped “ birds’ -nests.” He 
found them in the belt of forest which is situated lialf-way up a great mountain close to the town of 
Tamatave. They are composed of the rolled-up leaves of the so-called “ Traveller’s Tree,” and are 
lined with small twigs and dry leaves. The opening of the nest is narrow, and is placed on one side,, 
