Chapter II: The Black Lemur. Lemur Macaco

_Lemur macaco_, Linn., S. N., i., p. 44 (1766); Schl. Mus. Pays. Bas.,
vii., p. 302 (1876); Milne-Edwards et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., pls.
131, 132 (1890).

_Lemur niger_, Schreb., Säugeth., pl. 40 A (1775).

_Lemur leucomystax_, Bartlett, P. Z. S., 1862, p. 347, pl. xli. (female).

_Varecia nigra_, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 136.

{70}CHARACTERS.--Ears tufted, with long hairs continuing down the side of the neck to the angle of the mouth.

MALE.--Entirely black.

FEMALE.--Formerly described as a distinct species, and known as the White-whiskered Lemur (_L. leucomystax_). Face and lips black, darkest on the nose, round the eyes and hinder part of the head; forehead blackish-grey; whiskers and ear-tufts white, almost concealing the ears. General colour of body rich ferruginous brown, darker on the middle of the back; arms, legs and neck reddish-yellow; tail whiter; throat, under side of body and inner side of limbs creamy-white.

There is a considerable amount of variation in this species. Some individuals have the lower back and base of tail white; the belly greyish-white, the feet brown, and the toes black. In others the black frontal spot is wanting, the back of the head being reddish-white; the basal half of the tail is dark orange-red, remainder of the body rich rusty-brown. On the fore-arm is a cluster of stiff hairs, which occurs in association with a large underlying sweat-gland, whose function is not yet understood.

DISTRIBUTION.--The north-west coast of Madagascar.

HABITS.--The special habits of this species of Lemur are unknown, but in all probability they agree with those of the group in general, as given under the heading of the genus. It is said to utter a coarse grunting call-note.

The young males are born black like the father, and the young females have the colour of the mother. Dr. Sclater has observed that in specimens in confinement in the Zoological Gardens, in London, the female carried her young one transversely across her belly, its long tail passing round her back and then round its own neck.

{71}III. THE MONGOOSE LEMUR. LEMUR MONGOZ.

_Lemur mongoz_, Linn., S. N., p. 44, no. 2 (1766); Scl., P. Z. S., 1871,
p. 231, figs, 1, 2; Schl., Mus. Pays. Bas., vii. p. 312 (1876);
Milne-Edw. et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., pls. 133-153 (1890).

_Lemur anjuanensis_, Geoffr., Ann. Mus., xix., p. 161 (1812).

_Prosimia melanocephala_, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 137, pl. xviii.

_Prosimia xanthomystax_, Gray, P. Z. S., 1863, p. 138, pl. xvii.

CHARACTERS.--Fur woolly and thick; eyelashes long; some long bristles behind the angle of the mouth; face long; no ear-tufts and whiskers, but a sub-auricular patch of long hair; some long hairs on the digits; tail bushy.

MALE.--Head, face, streak across the crown of head and down the forehead brownish-black; ears of the same colour, white-fringed; cheeks and a spot on the sides of the forehead iron-grey; sub-auricular cheek-patch white, slightly washed with rufous; rest of upper surface reddish-grey; tail darker; chest and under side rufous-grey.

FEMALE.--Rufous-brown above; neck and shoulders white; throat white; frontal spot black; face whitish.

The colour of the fur in this species varies to an extraordinary degree, and before this fact was recognised, a number of supposed species, founded on the colour of the animals alone, were described. In course of time, however, as specimens were obtained in greater number, it became evident that the variation was only in the colour of the fur, and that there was none in their anatomical and osteological structure to warrant their being considered distinct species. They have, therefore, all been now classified by Professor Milne-Edwards and M. Grandidier in their great work on the Natural History {72}of Madagascar, as so many varieties of one species, _Lemur mongoz_. Of these varieties, the most important are:--

THE RED-FOOTED LEMUR. LEMUR RUFIPES.

MALE.--Face in front of a line above the eyes, dark reddish-brown; hands and feet bright rufous-brown; under side of body and inner side of limbs reddish-grey.

FEMALE.--Wrist and ankles with adjacent part of limbs above brownish-red.

THE RED-FRONTED LEMUR. LEMUR RUFIFRONS.

MALE.--Grizzly, washed with rufous; fore-arms, hands, feet, haunches, outer side of legs, and top of the head between the ears, rufous.

FEMALE.--Grizzly brown; top of head grizzly black; patch over and round the eyes greyish-white.

THE GREY-HEADED LEMUR. LEMUR CINEREICEPS.

Face and frontal spot black; cheeks, sides, top of head, side of neck, and outside of ears grey; rest of body orange-red.

THE COLLARED LEMUR. LEMUR COLLARIS.

MALE.--Head blackish-brown; cheeks, sides of throat, mark over eyes, and base of ears, yellowish-grey, washed with orange-red or rufous; a spot at the side of the nose, grey; chin, throat, and under side of the body, blackish-grey.

FEMALE.--Centre of nose black; sides of nose, chin, cheeks, including the eyes, ears, sides of throat, iron-grey, slightly flushed at the lower side of the neck under the ears with reddish-orange. Specimens from the island of Mayotte (_L. mayottensis_, Schl.) differ from _L. collaris_ in having a blackish spot over the root of the tail.

{73}THE RUFOUS LEMUR. LEMUR RUFUS.

Has a yellowish-white frontal band and whiskers.

THE BLACK-FACED LEMUR. LEMUR NIGRIFRONS.

Has a brownish-black band over the forehead, including the eyes; muzzle, patch on top of head including the ears, the side of the head below the ears, sub-auricular tufts, throat and under surface, grey.

THE WHITE-FACED LEMUR. LEMUR ALBIFRONS.

Forehead, top of head, ears, throat, and chest white.

Pure albino varieties are also quite common.

DISTRIBUTION.--The Mongoose Lemur with its numerous varieties is found throughout the island of Madagascar, in Mayotte, and in Anjuan or Johanna Island, one of the Comoro group.

HABITS.--Gregarious and diurnal, feeding on fruits, insects, and small animals.

IV. SCLATER'S LEMUR. LEMUR NIGERRIMUS.

_Lemur nigerrimus_, Scl., P. Z. S., 1880, p. 451, figs. 1 and 2;
Milne-Edw. et Grandid., H. N. Madag., Mamm., pls. 154, 155 (1890).

_Lemur macaco_ (nec L.), Scl., P. Z. S., 1878, p. 1016.

_Prosimia rufipes_, Gray, Ann. N. H., 1871, p. 339 (female).

CHARACTERS.--Face covered with short hair; ears nude and without tufts; nose-pad and lower lips nude. Similar to _L. macaco_, but larger and more intensely black, with a raised crest of upstanding hair on the head, formed by the longer fur of the body terminating arcuately on the forehead. External ears pinkish flesh-colour. Eyes blue, turning to green. Length, 16 inches; tail, 20 inches.

{74}FEMALE.--(_Prosimia rufipes_ of Gray) Brown; eyes brownish-yellow.

DISTRIBUTION.--Cap d'Ambra, N. Madagascar.

Nothing is known of the habits of this species.