Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 7.djvu/760

740 they have been styled monkeys with the fox's muzzle. Their agility is marvelous; they leap through the air to a great distance, settling on a branch, which perhaps bends under their weight, and dart off again in evolutions of astonishing rapidity. A wood frequented by troops commands the astonishment and admiration of the traveler, from the intelligent appearance and incessant gambols of these lively animals. The largest kinds are about three feet in length, while the smallest are not larger than a rat. The true lemur, which is distinguished by a long snout and tail, prefers fruit for food, but does not object to crunch a small bird, a lizard, or insects. These are diurnal in their habits; while the chirogales, possessing short paws and pointed teeth, shun the light, and only appear in twilight and moonlight, when they make great havoc among lizards and small game. These curious mammifers are characteristic of Madagascar; other species do exist elsewhere, but the nocturnal kind are found nowhere but in this and the Comoro Islands.

In the most solitary parts of the southwest region lives that strange creature, the aye-aye, or chiromys. A nocturnal animal, gentle and timid, it is about the size of a cat, with a large head, round full eyes not dissimilar to those of the owl, an enormous tail, and most extraordinary formation of the fore-paws; the middle finger being long and slender. This, which looks like a deformity, is, in truth, a wonderful arrangement of Nature for its special way of life. As it lives on the larvæ hidden in the trunks of trees, the finger can be easily introduced into the fissures from which it tears the coveted prey. Naturalists think it forms a link between the squirrel and the monkey. The Malagaches seem to be impressed with a superstitious dread of the animal, owing to its sleeping all the day in the most secret haunts; nor do they ever molest it, astonished as they seem to be by its peculiar physiognomy and movements.

There is another class of mammifers peculiar to this island, which are called tendraks by the natives, and seem closely allied to our hedgehogs. Like these, they are covered with spines, but the teeth differ, and the tail is wanting; neither do they roll themselves into a ball, but hide the head between their paws when frightened. Seven or eight species have been discovered, with some variety in the spines, some being soft, and not covering the whole of the body. They are all nocturnal in their habits, and very good when cooked. As for the carnivora, they all belong to a very small type. The wild-cat is a pretty creature. Its back is fawn-colored, traversed by four stripes of reddish-brown, and yellowish-white under the body and the paws. The ichneumon, with its long thin body and shaded skin, also gains the admiration of the traveler; it is a fearful enemy to all small or weak animals, but one of the species feeds greedily on honey. Not the least curious is the cryptoproctus, of the size and appearance of a cat, but with feet formed like those of a bear, the entire sole