LORIS. 
231 
extract the juice. I have, upon such an occasion, seen him lie all his length upon 
his back, in the bottom of the cage, and, firmly grasping the piece of orange in 
both hands, squeeze the juice into his mouth. He generally sits upon his hind 
part (the hair of which is much worn by long sitting), close to the bars of his cage, 
grasping them firmly with his hind paws; he then rolls himself up like a ball, with 
his head in his breast, his thighs closely placed over his belly, and his arms over 
his head, generally grasping the bars of the cage with his hands also. In this 
position, and also without moving, he remains the whole day. Upon coming into 
the Channel, the cold weather affected him very much; he was seized with cramp, 
and I at that time placed him in a small box, which was filled with very soft down. 
This he felt so agreeable that, when cold, he never left it during the whole day, 
unless disturbed, and slept in it rolled up in the shape of a ball. He is extra¬ 
ordinarily slow in his motions, and his trivial name, tardigradus, well marks his 
habit in that particular . . . When he climbs he first lays hold of the branch with 
one of his hands, and then with the other. When he has obtained a firm hold with 
both hands, he moves one of his hind paws, and, after firmly grasping, the branch 
with it, he moves the other. He never quits his hold with his hind paws until he 
has obtained a secure grasp with his hands. When he walks, he moves his limbs in 
the same methodical manner as when he climbs. 
“ His temper, in cold weather especially, is very quick; but, in general, he is 
rather timid, and never offers any injury unless incautiously touched, teased, or 
provoked; he then makes a shrill, plaintive cry, evidently expressive of much 
annoyance, and bites very sharply.” He was obtained from the island of Penang, 
lying off' the Malay Peninsula, and belonged to that variety in which the brown 
stripe of the back expands into a large triangular patch on the crown of the head. 
The Javan loris (W. javanicus), said to be confined to the island from which it 
derives its name, is distinguished by having four brown bands running down the 
head and face from the crown, one band going to each eye, and one to each ear; 
the interspaces being pale, and the space between the eyes white. As Mr. Blanford 
remarks, this coloration is only one step in advance on that obtaining in the 
third variety of the slow loris mentioned on p. 229, and it is therefore extremely 
doubtful whether the Javan loris really has any right to rank as a separate species. 
The Slender Loris {Loris gracilis). 
The slender loris, of which we give an illustration on p. 230, represent¬ 
ing it asleep, and another on p. 232, is the sole species of the genus to which it 
belongs. It is distinguished from the slow loris by its lighter build of body and 
longer and more slender limbs, as well as by the greater size of the eyes, which are 
separated merely by a narrow space. The ears are also somewhat larger than in 
the slow loris. 
The slender loris is a much smaller animal than the preceding species, the 
length of the head and body being about <3 inches. In colour it is a dark earthy 
grey, with a more or less marked ruddy tinge on the back and outer sides of the 
limbs, and showing a faint silvery wash; the under-parts being much paler. 
Between the eyes there is the usual narrow white stripe, which spreads out on the 
