RING-TAILED LEMURS.

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Lemur catta inhabits a circumscribed region. Its range is along the south and west coasts of Madagascar. Social, and banding together in troops, they feed on the fruits of the forest, and occasionally, it is averred, capture insects and small birds. Those kept in confinement, however, are far less carnivorous than the smaller and livelier nocturnal Galagos to be described hereafter. They seem remarkably sensible to cold, huddling and crouching close to one another as if heat and comfort were indispensable to their nature. At such times their tails are wound round the bodies of their companions and of themselves in a very odd fashion. Ordinarily very good-natured, they like to be fondled, and come down to be fed, uttering either a grunt of satisfaction or a loud plaintive cry, but it is stated that in Madagascar when the wet season comes on they become much excited, and rush about quite careless of danger, grunting terribly. They do not tease each other like Monkeys, and do not jump about on their hind legs alone, to do mischief of all kinds; on the contrary, they leap on all-fours with great agility and quietude, and in a light-hearted sort of way. They use their hands in grasping objects given to them, and feed themselves with them; but, like the Monkeys, they often scratch with the hinder extremities, and do not use them to put food to their mouths.

On looking into their anatomy it will be noticed that the back-bone has none of those graceful curves so characteristic of man, and which are modified and less perceptible in Apes. It is made for going on all-fours and jumping, and consists of some twenty-nine pieces, or vertebræ, there being also twenty-six in the tail. Having good lungs, the chest is capacious, but is long and flattened at the sides, and there are thirteen ribs on each side, and a central breast-bone, or sternum, composed of seven pieces.

The skull has large eye-cavities, or orbits, and (as in Indris) they are not closed behind by bone, but are open there, though the angle of the lower jaw is not turned in or inflected. The diet of the Ring-tailed Lemurs being both vegetarian and of insects, or an occasional small bird, their teeth are very equally distributed as regards their kinds. There is a good set of front teeth for tearing and incising, the full number of canines for piercing and killing, and the full number of grinders. The numbers are on each side of the upper jaw—two incisors, one canine, three false, or pre-molars, and three true molars, and on each side of the lower jaw is a corresponding number. Thus this arrangement resembles that of the milk teeth of Indris, but the front teeth of the lower jaw stick out in a remarkable manner. Corresponding with their teeth are the digestive organs, which are more suited for the assimilation of vegetable food than for a purely carnivorous diet. These measure nearly seven feet in length, and the blind-gut, or cæcum, is about a foot long. There is one point of great interest in the throat of this Lemur, especially when the animal is considered as intermediate between some Carnivora and the American Monkeys. This, the organ of voice, has a small laryngeal pouch, recalling, or rather fore-shadowing, the great ones of the Howlers; and the bone at the base of the tongue (the hyoid) has a body and projections, which resemble those of the Carnivora rather than those of the Monkeys. In the wrist there is the ninth bone.

When in captivity, the Ring-tailed Lemur soon becomes attached to its keeper, and they show some powers of memory. A quartermaster of the French frigate Dupleix, who had one on board, was recognised by it when surrounded by all the crew. This little creature liked to play with the cabin-boys and the Dogs, and took charge of, and protected, a little Monkey belonging to one of the sailors. The Monkey was fondled and nursed, and cleaned with great attention by its active little friend; but corresponding kindness was not shown to the ship’s fowls, whose tails it pulled unmercifully.

THE WHITE-FRONTED LEMUR.[120]

This is easily known by its broad band of white fur encircling the forehead, cheeks, and ears, and contrasting with the black muzzle, which is long and compressed. It is restricted in its geographical range to Madagascar.

Several of these White-fronted Lemurs have been brought to Europe from time to time, and have been kept in the Zoological Gardens. Their habits are simple enough. They often exhibit great vivacity, and are much given to leaping from one object to another, in which they are aided by the pad-like structures of the hands and feet.