The last group of the genus Lemur contains kinds which have a ruff of fur on the cheeks and neck, and the ears are pencilled at the end, the wrist being moreover hairy. They are common in Madagascar, and two are worthy of notice—the Ruffed Black-and-White Lemur, and the Ruffed Black Lemur.
THE RUFFED LEMUR.[123]
RUFFED LEMUR. (After Schlegel and Pollen.)
Ellis, when journeying through one of the Madagascar forests, noticed, one bright, clear, and bracing morning, a peculiar shouting or hallooing, apparently at no very great distance. It was, he wrote, “not like any sound I had heard before, but resembled that of men or boys calling to each other more than anything else. At first I thought it was a number of people driving cattle out of the forest into the road. Still I heard no crashing amongst the underwood, and saw no signs of bullocks. Then I imagined it must be a number of bird-catchers, or squirrel-catchers. But on inquiring of my companions they said the noise proceeded from the Black-and-white Lemurs—Lemur macaco, or Lemur varius (Geoffroy)—of which there were great numbers in the forests. 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 Lemurs 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 upon their hind legs, on the outside of the house, leaning back against the wall 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 for a long time, and numbers are sold to the masters of ships and others visiting the port. We had one on board the ship in which I made my first voyage from Madagascar. It was a fine animal, and during the twenty-eight days of our passage I had frequent opportunities of observing its disposition and habits. It was tied to a boat on deck, and in a basket under the fore part of the boat it found a partial shelter from the rain and wind. It conveyed its food—boiled rice and fruit—to its mouth by the hand; and it was gentle and sociable, seemingly grateful for any trifling notice or kindness. I frequently gave it water, which it lapped like a Dog, and occasionally a banana; and in a short time it seemed to watch my movements whenever I came on deck, jumping on my arm or shoulder if I approached the boat; but was most delighted when, attaching a long line to the short cord tied round its body, I loosened it from the boat and allowed it to run up the cords or rigging, which it ascended with astonishing ease and speed, sitting sometimes with apparent pleasure on the extremity of the yard. It was scrupulously clean, and seemed unable to endure any tar or other dirt on its shaggy coat. One morning, during a heavy gale of wind, when there was much motion of the ship and great confusion and noise among the sailors, the Lemur seemed unusually excited, and clapped its hands together, and chattered loud in a most extraordinary manner, occasioning great uneasiness amongst the crew of Malagasy sailors, who declared it was an omen of evil to the ship, and that some fearful calamity might be expected. I had felt so much interest in the sociable and apparently gentle animal on board ship, that I should have been glad to have seen some of its species in their own forest homes; but though numbers were evidently near, none of them came within sight.”
This Lemur has, as its name implies, a black-and-white fur; the white tint is very general near the skin, and black is put on in patches, the tail being completely of that colour. It has a long face and skull, with a high nose and a narrow space between the eye cavities.
SKELETON OF THE RUFFED LEMUR. (Modified after De Blainville.)
THE BLACK LEMUR.[124]
It is this Lemur which has a mate with white whiskers and a white patch on the lower part of the back, whilst its own colour is uniformly black.