GENUS STENOPS.— LOUISES. 
193 
DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 
1 . L'Indri i LONGUE QUEUE IS described and figured by Sonnerat (Voy. 
11. pi. 89) under the name of Maquis a bourres (Flocky Lemur). This 
is the Lemur laniger of Linn. Ginel., the Maki fuuve of Buffbn, and In- 
dris longicaudatus of most other authors. It is said to be yellow, with a 
very long tail ; but the species itself requires revision, being probably 
identical with some of the Lemurs already described. 
GENUS III. STENOPS.— LORISES. 
Syn. Les Loris. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 108. 
Stenops.' — Illig. I’rodr. I. 73. 
Lobis and Nycticebus Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. 162. — Desm. Mam. 
Lesiub (in part). — Linn. Gmel. I. 
generic characters. 
The Head round. The Muzzle short. The Eyes very large, ap- 
proximated, and directed forwards. The Ears short and hairy. 
The Dental Eor-mula as in the genus Lemur (see page 189). 
The Tarsus and Metatarsus of equal length. 
The Mamm^ four. Habits nocturnal. 
The first finger only of the hinder hand with a claw. 
Inhabit the East Indies and Africa. 
The Lorises, otherwise called Slow-paced Lemurs (Singes Pares- 
seux), have the same dentition as the Lemurs, only the points of 
their molars are sharper. They liave the abrupt muzzle of a Mas- 
tiff; the body slender ; the tail wanting [or medium size]; large 
approximated eyes ; and a rough tongue. 
They feed on Insects, sometimes also on small Birds or Quadru- 
peds; they walk at an excessively slow pace; and their habits are 
nocturnal. Sir A. Carlisle has noticed that the arteries of their limbs 
are subdivided at the base into small branches, in the same manner 
as in the true Sloths.- 
Two species are noticed from the East Indies [and one from 
Africa]. 
To this g( nus we assign, with Temminck, the Potto of Bosman. It 
thus comprises three species; but there are two others, the reality of whose 
existence requires further proof. Tile dentition appears to undergo some 
important changes during its progress to maturity. 
1. STENOPS TARDIGRADUS— SLOTH-LORIS. 
Syn. Le Loris paresseux ou le 1’aresseux de Bengale. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. 
I. 108. 
Lemur TARDIGRADUS. — Linn. Gmel. I Raffles, in Linn. Trans. XIII. 
217. 
Nycticerus Bengalensis. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XIX. 164. — Desm. Mam. 
Slow.paced Lemur. — Shaw, Gen. Zool. I. 
Icon. Le Loris paresseux Audeb. Sing. 
Loris de Bengale. — Buff. Hist. Nat. Suppl. VII. pi. 36. — VoSm.3 
Dcscr. Paress. (Amsterdam, 1770). 
PouKAN. — F. Cuv. et Geoff. Hist. Mam. 
Tail-less Maucauco. — Penn. Quadr. I. pi. 18. 
SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 
The Hair reddish-brown, a dark brown line along the back; the tail 
apparently wanting ; a white spot on the forehead. 
Inhabits Bengal. 
The SIoth-Loris has been long and pretty accurately known to Natu- 
ralists. Linnseus descrilied it ; as did Vosmaer, the celebrated Dutch Zoo- 
Ugist. D’Obsotiville examined it in its native haunts, and Audebert fur- 
inshed an account from the Paris Musenni. Our distinguished country- 
tian, Sir William Jones, supplied a truly classical description in the Asi- 
adc Researches, Vol. IV., while Dr Shaw, and Sir A. Carlisle, the celo- 
lirated anatomist, have both examined it with care. 
file following detailed account of the Slotli-Loris is from the pen of 
die learned and accomplished Sir William Jones: — “This male animal 
kad four hands, each five-fingered ; palms naked; nails round, except 
diose in the indices behind, whicii were long, curved, pointed; hair very 
diick, especially on the haunches, extremely soft, mostly dark-grey, varied 
"''th brown, and a tinge of russet; darker on the back, paler about the 
kice, and under the throat, reddish toward the rump ; no tail ; a dorsal 
stripe, broad, chestnut-coloured, narrower towards the neck ; a head al- 
most spherical ; a countenance expressive and interesting; eyes round, 
large, approximated, weak in the day-time, glaring and animated at night ; 
a white vertical stripe between them; eye-lashes black, short, ears dark, 
rounded, concave ; great acuteness at night, both in seeing and hearing ; 
a face liairy, flattish ; a nose pointed, not much elongated, the upper lip 
cleft ; canine teeth comparatively long, very sharp. 
“ In his manners he was for the most part gentle, except in the cold 
season, when his temper seemed wholly changed; and his Creator, who 
made him so sensible of cold, to which he must often have been exposed 
even in his native forests, gave him, probably for that reason, liis 
thick fur, wliicli we rarely see in animals in these tropical climates. To 
me, who not only constantly fed him, but bathed him twice a-week in 
water accommodated to the seasons, and whom be clearly distinguished 
from others, he was at all times grateful; but when I disturbed him in 
winter, he was usually indignant, and seemed to reproach me with the 
uneasiness which lie felt, though no possible precautions had been omit- 
ted to keep him in a proper degree of warmth. At all times he was 
pleased with being stroked on the head and throat, and frequently suffered 
me to touch his extremely sharp teeth ; but at all times his temper was 
quick, and, when he was unseasonably disturbed, lie expressed a little re- 
sentment by an obscure murmur, like that of a Squirrel, or a greater de- 
gree of displeasure by a peevish cry, especially in winter, when he was often 
as fierce, on being much importuned, as any beast of the woods. From 
half an hour after sun-rise, to half an liour before sun-set, he slept with- 
out intermission, rolled up like a Hedgehog; and, as soon as he awoke, 
lie began to prep.ire himself for the labours of bis approacliing day ; lick- 
ing and dressing himself like a Cat, an operation whicli the flexibility of 
liis neck and limbs enabled him to perform very completely : he was then 
ready for a slight breakfast, after which lie commonly took a short nap ; but 
when the sun was quite set, he recovered all his vivacity. His ordinary 
food was the sweet fruit of the country; plantains always and mangos du- 
ring tlie season ; but he refused peaches, and was not fond of mulberries, 
or even of guaiavas : milk be lapped eagerly, but was contented with plain 
water. In general he was not voracious, but never appeared satisfied with 
Grasshoppers ; and passed the whole night, while the hot season lasted, in 
prowling forthem. When a Grasshopper, or any Insect, alighted within his 
reach, his eyes, which he fixed on his prey, glowed with uncommon fire ; 
and, having drawn himself back to spring on it with greater force, lie seized 
tlie prey with both his fore-paws, but held it in one of them, wliile he de- 
voured it. For other purposes, and sometimes even for tliat of holding 
his food, he used all liis paws indifferently as hands, and frequently 
grasped with one of them the higlier part of his ample cage, while his three 
others were severally engaged at the bottom of it ; but tlic posture of wliicli 
he seemed fondest was to cling witli all four of them to the upper wires, 
his body being inverted ; and in the evening he usually stood erect for 
many minutes, playing on tlie wires with his fingers, and rapidly moving 
Ills body from side to side, as if he had found tlie utility of exercise in his 
unnatural state of confinement. A little before day-break, wlien very 
early hours gave me frequent opportunities of observing him, lie seemed 
to solicit my attention ; and if 1 presented my finger to him, he licked it 
with great gentleness, but eagerly took fruit wlien I offered it ; tliough lie 
seldom ate much at his morning repast : wlien the rfny broug/it back bin 
night, his eyes lost their lustre and strengtli, and he composed liimself for 
a slumber of ten or eleven hours. 
“ My little friend was, on tlie whole, very engaging; and, when he was 
found lifeless, in the same posture in which he would naturally have slept, 
1 consoled myself with believing that he died without pain, and lived with 
as much pleasure as he could have enjoyed in a slate of captivity. 
“ In India it is found in the Garrow mountains, in the woods on tile 
Coast of Coromandel, and has likewise been transmitted from tiie Eastern 
Islands.” 
Little requires to be added to this truly graphic description. M. F. Cuvier 
remarks, that tlie length of the body of this Loris is about 14 or 16 inclies, 
equal to the size of a small Cat ; and when standing erect upon its paws, 
its shoulders are nearly six inclies high. Sprawling, however, may be said to 
be the favourite gait of this animal ; its extremities being wide asunder, 
and its cliest and abdomen almost toucliing the ground ; so that it lias a 
very uncommon appearance. Regarding the dental system of tin’s species, 
M. F. Cuvier remaiks, that the .crest, on tlie inner side of tlie true molars, 
projects mote at the anterior than the posterior part; tliat the upper in- 
cisors are regularly placed at the side, not before each other, and that the 
inferior canine is round, and not flattened externally. D Obsonville in- 
forms us he could readily distinguish the peculiar cries of tins Lons, when 
it was happy and sad, when it was hungry or impatient; it is a kind 
of soft wliistle. It appears susceptible of some education, ceasing to bite 
the 
2 narrow, and visage. 
the remarkably slow pace of these Lorises has led travellers to suppose them true Sloths, and hence some 
— Sole of the Baron Cuvier. 
os.M. Descr. — Description de differens Animaux de la Menagerie du Prince d’Orange, par P. Vosinnl'r. 
authors have 
.\msterd. 
assorted, contra'ty to Buffon and to the fact, that 
1766—1767. 
