LEMUR (Lat. lemur, ghost). Of the ninny curious animals characteristic of Madagascar, lemurs are perhaps the most interesting. The name was originally bestowed by Linnwns on account of the nocturnal habits and peculiar ghost-like appearanee of the species known to him. and it is still used as the name of the typical genus of the group. But at the present time it is not cat;y to determine whether all the animals of the suborder Lemuroidea are to be called lemurs or not. The lemuroids (suborder Leinuroidea) differ from all the other primates in certain peculiarities of the skull, hands, and feet, and in the simple structure of the brain, in which the cerebral hemispheres are little con voluted and do not conceal the cerebellum. Yet there is rudimentary 'simian They stand at a lower level than other primates. The head lacks the human expression of the anthro poid apes or even of many monkeys—is more fox-like. The long tail in such as have it is never prehensible, nor is there ever any trace* of cheek-pouches or of integument al cal losities. A curious contrast exists between the monkeys and the lemurs, as Bcddard points out, in respect to the digits of the hands and feet. la the former it is the hallux or pollex which is subject to great variation, but in the lemurs the thumb and great toe are always well devel oped. although the second or the third digit constantly shows sonic abnormality, such as the remarkable elongation of the third digit in the aye-aye (q.v. for illustration) and in the ab sence of the index in the pot to. In all lemurs, moreover, a sharp claw is borne upon the second toe, unlike the other that 'nails.' The dentition is peculiar in the way the incisors (four in each ja•) are enlarged and project forward, and in the incisor form of the lower canines. There are also important peculiarities in the visceral anatomy. The stomach is simple; the MC11111 is always present and of variable lengths, but never has a vermiform appendix. Some of the arteries break up into 'retis mirabilia,' not known elsewhere among primates, but a char acteristic of edentates; and a still more remark able contrast with other primates is the fact that among lemurs the placenta is non -decid nate.
The geographical distribution of the lemurs is extraordinary and has given rise to much specu lation. (See LEM URI A. ) Two-thirds of the group are confined to and near-by islands. where their perpetuation as a race may be due to the scarcity of carnivores; the remainder be long to Ethiopia and the Oriental region; but in past ages they were widespread in Europe, Asia, and North America. The Lemuroidea fall very naturally into three families, Lemuridce, Tarsiida-, and Chiromyidw. The last two, how ever, contain only a single species each, the tarsier and the aye-aye (qq.v.), and these are such curious animals that it is more natural not to call them lemurs. The family Lemrlridm in eludes some thirty-five or forty species, which are quite generally grouped in four subfamilies, of which the first includes the indris and avalds of :Madagascar; the second. the true lemurs; the third, the chirog,ales of Madagascar and the galagos of Africa; and the fourth, the Loris of Ceylon, India, and Southeastern Asia, and the angwantibo (o• awantiho) and potto of West Africa. The indris is one of the largest species, hot the avahis or woolly lemur (Arrf1iaic laniqcr) is a small, solitary, and nocturnal species, slow in its movements and rarely descending to the ground. The mouse-lemurs or ehirogales (genus Chirogaleus) are remarkable little creatures, long-tailed and nocturnal; some of the species build nests like those of birds, while others are notable for spending the dry season in a state of torpidity, in a hollow in a tree, great quanti ties of accumulated fat providing the necessary nourishment. The galagos (genus Galago) have large, round, naked ears, which the animal can fold at will; they are small, beautiful, active nocturnal animals, with large eyes, long tails, and soft woolly fur. The loris and pottos are remarkable for the slowness of their movements and the small or rudimentary index-finger.