We saw this animal (_fig. 167._) by chance and in the possession of
a person who could neither inform us whence it came, nor how it was
called. It is remarkable for the excessive length of its hind legs.
The bones of the feet, and especially those which compose the upper
part of the _tarsus_ are of an extraordinary length, and it is from
this distinctive character we have taken its name. The tarsier,
however, is not the only animal whose hind feet are thus formed; the
tarsus of the jerboa is still longer, therefore the name of _tarsia_,
which we have given to it must only be considered as a precarious
appellation, which ought to be laid aside when the name it bears in
its native country is known. The jerboa is found in Egypt, Barbary
and the East Indies. At first I imagined the tarsier might belong to
the same countries from its resemblance to that animal; they are both
of the same size, which is not bigger than that of a middling rat;
both have prodigious long tails furnished at their ends with long
hairs; both have their hind legs excessively long, and those before
extremely short; both have large eyes, and large erect ears; both have
the lower part of their hind legs without any hair, while all the rest
of their body is covered with it. These animals having thus in common
such singular characters, there seemed to be a probability of their
being similar species, or at least two species produced in the same
climate: nevertheless, in comparing them together, in other respects,
it becomes not only doubtful, but almost certain that it is no such
thing. The tarsier has five toes to every foot; and may be said to
have four hands, for the toes are very long and sufficiently divided;
the largest of those behind, or the thumb, is terminated by a flat
nail; and although the nails of the other toes are pointed, they are
so short and so small, that they do not prevent the animal from using
its four feet like hands. The jerboa, on the contrary, has only four
toes and four long and crooked claws on its fore feet, and instead
of a thumb, it has only a tubercle without a nail. But what removes
it further from our tarsier, it has only three toes or three great
claws on the hind feet. This difference is too great for animals whose
species approach each other; and it is not impossible but they belong
to distant climates; for the tarsier, by its small size, four hands,
long toes, little claws, and its long tail and feet, seems to have a
much greater affinity with the Mexican and other opossums. But we mean
only to mention our doubts, and should be greatly obliged to those who
can indicate to us the real climate and name of this little animal,[AO]
rare and singular.
[AO] Sonnini observes, that this rare and singular animal is found in
the most distant islands of the Indian Ocean, and more particularly at
Amboyna, where it is called the _podie_ in the language of Madagascar.
This is the only additional fact that has been acquired respecting the
tarsier, since the time of Buffon.