LEMUR, the name applied to the more primitive members of the PRIMATES (q.v.), which do not come under the designa tion of either monkeys or apes, and constitute the sub-orders Lemuroidea and Tarsioidea, the latter including only the Malayan genus Tarsius. The other sub-order includes the true lemurs of Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, the galagos (q.v.) of trop ical East Africa, the lorises (q.v.) of eastern Asia and the aye-aye (q.v.) from Madagascar. In the true lemurs, the tail is long and imperfectly prehensile. With the exception of the second toe of the hind-foot, the digits have well-formed, flattened nails as in the majority of monkeys. In the members of the typical genus Lemur, as well as in the allied Hapalemur and Lepidolemur, none of the toes or fingers are connected by webs, and all have the hind-limbs of moderate length, and the tail long. The maximum number of teeth is 36. Some of the species are nocturnal and others diurnal ; all subsist on a mixed diet, which includes birds, reptiles, eggs, insects and fruit. Most are arboreal, but the
ring-tailed lemur (L. catta) often dwells among rocks. The species of the genus Lemur are diurnal, and may be recognized by the length of the muzzle, and the large tufted ears. In some cases, as in the black lemur (L. macaco) the two sexes are differently coloured. The gentle lemurs (Hapalemur) have a rounder head, with smaller ears and a shorter muzzle, and a bare spiny patch on the fore-arm. The sportive lemurs (Lepidolemur) are smaller and the adults generally lose their upper incisors. The head is short and conical, the ears large, round and mostly bare, and the tail shorter than the body. Like the gentle lemurs they are nocturnal. (See AVAHI, AYE-AYE, GALAGO, INDRI, LORIS, POTTO, SIFAKA and TARSIER.)