478 
THE STORY OF THE LEMUR. 
length, others may reach as much as 15 inches, or even more. Its propor¬ 
tions are thick and clumsy; the head being broad and flat, with a slightly 
projecting and pointed muzzle. The large eyes are perfectly circular, and 
their pupils can be completely closed by the gradual contraction of the iris, 
which open from above and below, so that when the pupil is half concealed 
it takes the form of a transverse slit. The ears are short, rounded, and 
partly buried in the fur; and are, thus, very different from those of the 
galagos. The hind-limbs are only slightly longer than the others. With 
the exception of the muzzle and the hands and feet, the whole of the body 
is covered with a thick coat of very close and somewhat long woolly fur. 
In the more common and larger variety, the color of the fur is ashv-grey 
above, tending to become silvery along the sides of the back, the under-parts 
being lighter, and the rump often having a tinge of red. The stripe on the 
back is chestnut-colored, and stops short at the hinder part of the crown of 
the head. The eyes are, however, surrounded by dark rims; between which 
is the white streak extending upwards from the nose. The ears, together 
with a small surrounding area, are brown. 
The slow loris is found over a large area in the countries lying to the east¬ 
ward of the Bay of Bengal. It occurs on the northeast frontier of India in 
the provinces of Sylhet and Assam, whence it extends southwards into 
Burma, Tenasserim, and the Malay Peninsula; while it is also found in Siam 
and Cochin China, and the islands of Sumatra, Java and Borneo. 
Its food consists of leaves and young shoots of trees, as well as fruits, 
various kinds of insects, birds, and their eggs. It has been observed to 
stand nearly erect upon its feet, and from this advantageous position pounce 
upon an insect. It is generally silent, although sometimes uttering a low 
crackling sound; but when enraged, and especially if about to bite, it gives a 
kind of fierce growl. This animal is tolerably common in the Tenasserim 
provinces and Arakan; but, being strictly nightly in its habits, is seldom seen. 
It inhabits the densest forests, and never by choice leaves the trees. Its 
movements are slow, but it climbs readily, and grasps with great tenacity. 
If placed on the ground, it can proceed, if frightened, in a wavering kind of 
trot, the limbs placed at right angles. It sleeps rolled up in a ball, its head 
and hands buried between its thighs, and wakes up at the dusk of evening to 
commence its nocturnal rambles. The female bears but one young at a 
time. Many accounts have been published of the habits of the slow loris in 
confinement. While these creatures are apt to be fierce when first captured, 
