CHAP. XVI. 
NOTICES OF THE LEMUR. 
437 
tailed lemur abounds; they are easily taken and domesticated 
by the natives, and the officers and crews of our men-of-war 
and others touching at St. Augustine’s Bay, or at Tamatave, 
usually purchase a number of them. I saw them at the 
latter place, and met on one occasion one or two soldiers, 
each wearing the bushy and beautifully marked tail of the 
ring-tailed lemur, curled from ear to ear over the top of his 
head. e( The ring-tailed lemur, the most beautiful of the 
genus, is scarcely as large as a cat, and more slender in form; 
its colour is a pale greyish brown; the nose black, the eyes 
bright, and surrounded by a distinct circle* of black; the 
hands and feet are black underneath, the fingers and toes 
being furnished with round nails. The tail is long, and 
beautifully marked throughout the whole length with dis¬ 
tinct circles of black and white, the fur fine and soft, and 
sub-erect in its growth. In their native state these ani¬ 
mals live in society in the woods, and feed principally on 
fruits. When domesticated, they are gentle, affectionate, and 
lively, delighting much in sunshine and warmth, and their mo¬ 
tions have an ease and elegance almost surpassing every other 
quadruped.” * 
I had repeatedly seen lemurs of more than one species in 
the market at Tamatave, and numbers among the people of 
the place. There were two or three of the large ruffed lemur 
in a house near my own dwelling, and they seemed to be quite 
domesticated. Though covered with thick, almost woolly 
hair, they appeared to be ill at ease in wet or cold weather, 
but to luxuriate in the warm sunshine. I often noticed two 
or three of them together, on a fine morning after rain, raised 
up on their hind legs, on the outside of the house, leaning 
back against the wall of the house, with their fore legs spread 
out, evidently enjoying the warmth of the sun which was 
shining upon them. They are often kept tame by the natives 
* Shaw’s Zoology, vol. i. p. 103. 
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