pacific people, the chief would venture, but in a sideling manner, to approach, as if eagerly watching that there was no sinister contrivance. Presently, becoming bold, he would seize the thumb of the hand in which the pease were held, with one paw, and eat with the other, keeping at the same time his eyes steadily fixed on those of M. D'Obsonville. "If," continues our entertaining writer, "I laughed or moved, he would break off his repast, and working his lips, make a kind of muttering, the sense of which, his long canine teeth occasionally shewn, plainly interpreted. When I threw a few at a distance, he seemed satisfied that others should gather them up; but he grumbled at, and sometimes struck those that came too near me. His cries and solicitude, though in part perhaps the effect of greediness, apparently indicated his fear, lest I should take advantage of their weakness to ensnare them: and I constantly observed that those which were suffered to approach me nearest, were the well-grown and strong males; the young and the females were always obliged to keep at a considerable distance."

The care and tenderness of the females, in a completely wild state, to their offspring was very conspicuous: they hold them under a proper obedience and restraint; and M. D'Obsonville has seen them suckle, caress, cleanse, and search the vermin from their young, and afterwards, crouching on their hams, delight to see them play with each other. These would wrestle, throw, or chase one another; and if any of them were malicious in their antics, the dams would spring upon them,

and seizing them with one paw by the tail, correct them severely with the other. Some would try to escape, but when out of danger, approached in a wheedling and caressing manner, though ever liable to relapse into the same faults: in other cases, each would come at the first cry of the dam. If they removed to a little distance, the young would follow gently; but when there was any necessity for going fast, they always mounted on the backs, or rather hung embracing the bellies of the females.

Monkies are generally peaceable enough among each other. In extensive, solitary, and fertile places, herds of different species sometimes chatter together, but without disturbance, or any confusion of the race. When, however, adventurous stragglers seem desirous of seeking their fortunes in places where another herd is in possession, these immediately unite to sustain their rights. M. de Maisonpré, and six other Europeans, were witnesses to a singular contention of this nature in the enclosures of the Pagodas of Cheringam. A large and strong Monkey had stolen in, but was soon discovered. At the first cry of alarm many of the males united, and ran to attack the stranger. He, though much their superior in size and strength, saw his danger, and flew to attain the top of a pyramid, eleven stories high, whither he was instantly followed; but when arrived at the summit of the building, which terminated in a small round dome, he placed himself firmly, and taking advantage of his situation, seized three or four of the most hardy, and precipitated them to the bottom. These proofs

of his prowess intimidated the rest, and after much noise they thought proper to retreat. The conqueror remained till evening, and then betook himself to a place of safety.

Their conduct towards such of their brethren as become captives is very remarkable. If one is chained in their neighbourhood, especially if of the society to which he belonged, they will attempt various means, for some time, to procure his liberty: but when their efforts prove ineffectual, and they see him daily submit to slavery, they will never again, if he should by any chance escape, receive him among them, but will fall upon and beat him away without mercy.

Such is their propensity to thieving, that, not contented with the plenty that Nature affords them in the woods, they seldom fail to steal from houses or gardens whatever they are able to carry away. When any of them perceive a child with bread or fruit in its hand, they immediately run up, frighten it, and take away its food. If a woman is drying grain in the sun, which in India is very common, she will sometimes find difficulty in beating them off. Some of them skip round and pretend to steal; and the moment she runs to strike them, the others, watching the opportunity, fall too and seize the grain with all the address imaginable.

M. D'Obsonville has seen Monkies caught, cunning as they are, by a very simple contrivance. The man employed chose a place near their haunts, and fastened a copper vessel, with a mouth about two inches in diameter, to the foot of a tree; then, after

scattering some grains, removed to a distance. These were soon devoured, and he brought more. The third time he was more bountiful of his grain, especially around and within the pot, in which were fixed five or six running knots, crossing each other in different directions. He had scarcely hidden himself before several Monkies and their young ran to try who should get first. They had soon emptied the vessel, but their hands were caught. The man approached before they had time to liberate themselves, threw a carpet over them, and thus took two females and their young.

*

THE LEMUR TRIBE.

THE animals composing the present tribe have a considerable resemblance to the Monkies in their habits and manners, as well as in their hand-like paws: they differ from them principally in the shape of the head, which is somewhat like that of a Fox, and in the length of the hind legs. Except in the use of their paws as hands, none of these creatures have any resemblance whatever to mankind.

The principal generic characters are, four frontteeth in the upper jaw, the intermediate ones of which are remote: six long, compressed, parallel teeth in the under jaw: the canine-teeth solitary : and the grinders somewhat lobated.t

There are in the whole thirteen species; but it is only of one of these that we have hitherto been able to obtain any thing but mere description.

THE SLOW LEMUR.*

The Slow Lemur is about the size of a small Cat; its body is of an elegant pale brown, or Mouse colour; the face flattish; the nose inclined to a sharpened form; and the eyes extremely prominent these are surrounded with a circle of dark brown, and a stripe of the same colour runs down the middle of the back.

It is very slow in its motions, and, from this circumstance, has actually been ranked by some Naturalists among the Sloths, though in no other respect resembling them. It is a nocturnal animal, and sleeps, or at least lies motionless, during the greatest part of the day. In captivity it will feed on boiled rice, small birds, or insects, and uses its paws like a squirrel. Its odour is said to be disagreeable.

The late learned and accomplished Sir William Jones has given a pleasing general description of this little creature, in the fourth volume of the Asiatic Researches; and as it is always interesting to observe the habits of an animal in its native country, though even only in a domestic state, we shall insert an extract from his curious paper.

SYNONYMS. Lemur Tardigradus. Linn.-Tailless Macauco. Penn. Syn.-Loris. Buffon: the name given to it by the Dutch.-The vangua or Tatonneur. D'Obsonville.-Slow Lemur. Shaw. Shaw's Gen. Zool. pl. 29. Bew, Quad. 409.