. The animals of the world. Brehm's life of animals;. Mammals. 74 THE HALF-MONKEYS OR LEMUROIDS. I had the opportunity of observing the Aye-Aye in London, though unfortunately but for a single evening. Yet I saw that Sonnerat's description requires not only additional details but correction. I will, therefore, give here an account of my own experiences and of what the keepers told me. The animal really resembles no one mammal to a noticeable extent. It reminds one a little of the Galagos, but a naturalist would hardly think of classifying it with them. The thick, broad head, with its large ear
. The animals of the world. Brehm's life of animals;. Mammals. 74 THE HALF-MONKEYS OR LEMUROIDS. I had the opportunity of observing the Aye-Aye in London, though unfortunately but for a single evening. Yet I saw that Sonnerat's description requires not only additional details but correction. I will, therefore, give here an account of my own experiences and of what the keepers told me. The animal really resembles no one mammal to a noticeable extent. It reminds one a little of the Galagos, but a naturalist would hardly think of classifying it with them. The thick, broad head, with its large ears, making it appear still wider;. AYE-ATE. Thi3 animal, classed with the Lemurs, but differing in many respects from all others of that order, is the most peculiar known to naturalists. The picture shows many of its oddities—the long, sprawling fingers, all except the thumb having pointed claws (the third finger being especially long), the loose straggling outer fur that covers a woolly undercoat, the large, naked ears, the long bushy tail, and even the rat-like teeth, are vividly portrayed. {Chiromys madagascariensis.) the small, fixed, stirring, glowing eye, with a pupil smaller than that of any nocturnal Monkey ; the mouth, which, shows a certain likeness to a Parrot's beak, the considerable size of the body and the long tail, which, like the body, is clothed scantily with long, stiff, bristle-like hair, and, lastly, the remark- able hands with their slender middle fingers—all these peculiarities give the animal so strange an appearance that one vainly cudgels one's brains in the effort to classify it with creatures resembling it. Night !8 Day A cursory glance at the Aye-Aye is to the sufficient to tell the naturalist that hq is Aye-Aye. dealing with a nocturnal animal. The Aye-Aye is more afraid of light than any mammal of which I know anything. A Half-Monkey can be awakened at least; he gropes around, looks wonder- ingly at the world in daylight, takes some interest in
Size: 1276px × 1958px
Photo credit: © The Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjectmammals, bookyear1895
