-JIAMMALIA. 
■ClIEinOPTERA. 
The Flying Lemur. 
fessor Van der Hoeven, admit a distinct order for their 
reception. The latter course does not appear to iis to 
he at all necessary, and we think it will he evident 
from the following description of the conformation of 
these singular creatures that their affinities are much 
closer to the lemurine quadrumana, than to the bats. 
THE GALEOPITHECI, or Flying Lemurs, differ from 
the rest of this order in the want of opposable thumbs 
on all the feet, these being composed of five digits of 
nearly equal length, arranged in the same plane, and 
united to each other by a membrane (fig. 8). The 
limbs are rather long and slender, and on each side of 
the bod}^ taking its rise from the neck and extending 
to the wrists, ankles, and even between the hinder 
limbs to the very extremity of the tail, is a broad hairy 
membrane, looking, at the first glance, like an ample 
cloak, in which the creature might wrap itself up 
warmly in case of need. The office of this membranous 
expansion is, however, very different; when in use it 
is widely extended by means of the limbs, and then 
serves its possessor in the way of a parachute, enabling 
him to spring from tree to tree at great distances. 
Hence the name of flying lemurs by which the galeo- 
pitheci are commonly known. But it must not be 
supposed that this action constitutes true flight; it is 
Fig. 8. 
Hind fbot of Galeopithecus volans. 
merely a parachute-like sailing through the air; the 
impetus being given by the spring of the creature from 
an elevated position, the expanded membrane buoys 
it up for a considerable distance, although it has no 
power to sustain or elevate itself in the air by its own 
exertions. A similar structure, adapted to the same 
end, occurs in the flying squirrels, and flying phalan- 
gens, and it is widely different from the true wings by 
which the bats are enabled to take their swift and 
noiseless flights through the dusky evening air. 
In the general form of the skull the galeopitheci 
resemble the lemurs, but the orbits are open behind as 
in the bats. The structure and arrangement of the 
teeth are, however, different from anything we meet 
with in any other group of mammals. The incisor 
teeth are four in number in each jaw, but those of the 
upper jaw are placed quite at the sides, in a line with 
the molars, so as to leave a wide vacant space in front 
above the lower incisors. The hindmost of the upper 
incisors are also remarkable for having two roots, a 
Fig. 9. 
Lower incisor teeth of Galeopithecus volans. 
character which does not occur in any other mammal. 
The lower incisors are inclined forwards as in the 
lemurs, broad and flat, and with their crowns curiously 
cleft in such a way that they resemble small combs 
(fig. 9) ; the canines are wanting in the upper jaw, 
small and notched at the edge in the lower one ; and 
the molars are six in number on each side of each jaw, 
and sharply tubercled. 
Of the other characters presented by these singular 
creatures we need only notice that they possess two 
pairs of teats, all placed upon the breast. 
THE FLYING LEMUK {Galeopithecus volans), Plate 
4, fig. 16, is a native of several of the large islands 
of the eastern seas, especially Java, Sumatra, and 
Borneo, and also of Penang, Siam, and the peninsula of 
Malacca on the continent of Asia. It is of a blackish- 
gi-ey colour above, with some whitish spots, and of a 
tawny-grey beneath; its feet are blackish, and its total 
length about eighteen inches. 
In the luxuriant forests of the countries above- 
mentioned, the flying lemurs exist in considerable 
abundance, but they are said to select particular spots 
for their dwelling-places, especially gentle hills covered 
with young trees, in the thick branches of which they 
find a secure retreat, and quietly sleep away their days. 
The night is the season of their activity, and then they 
may be seen springing obliquely from one tree to 
another, often at a distance of a hundred yards or 
more, at the same time uttering a hoarse, croaking, 
disagreeable noise. On the ground, however, they 
are very helpless, advancing by a succession of little 
awkward leaps until they roach some object which 
they can ascend, when they climb up by the aid of 
their claws, somewhat in the manner of a cat. 
They feed upon fruits and young leaves, preferring 
those of the cocoa, palm, and the Bombax pentandrum, 
to the plantations of which, surrounding the native 
villages, they often do much injury. According to 
some authors they do not adhere strictly to a vegetable 
diet, but feed also upon insects, and even upon small 
birds when they can seize them. 
