[Illustration: THE AYE-AYE.]
{15}CHARACTERS.--Head short and round; face short-snouted, with a patch of
bristles below the eye, between the ear and the angle of the mouth; eyes
round, prominent; eyebrows long and bristly; pupils wide, furnished with a
false eyelid (a nictitating membrane); ears large, rounded, directed
backwards, naked, and studded with small protuberances; tail longer than
the body, bushy, with hair 3-4 inches long; hind-limbs longer than the
fore-limbs, the thigh-bone being one third longer than the humerus, the
hand the longest segment of the fore-limb; fingers long--the fourth the
longest--with compressed and pointed claws, which are proportionately much
longer than the toes; the middle or third digit slender and very
remarkable, being extremely attenuated and wire-like; thumb opposable, and
placed at an acute angle to the short index; great toe opposable, set at an
open angle to the other digits, its nail flat; the remaining toes with
pointed compressed claws (like the second toe of _Lemuridæ_ and second and
third of _Tarsiidæ_). Teats, two, placed low down on the abdomen. Length of
body and tail together 36 inches. Skull highly arched, convex transversely;
muzzle short and deep; bony palate not extending behind the middle of the
posterior molar tooth; lower jaw with condyle elongated from before
backwards and on a level with the cheek-teeth, its two halves united at an
acute angle by elastic tissue, allowing each half to play independently of
the other. Its dental formula, I1/1, C0/0, P1/0, M3/3 = 18. Incisors very
large, curved, with persistent pulp, and enamel only in front, growing up
as fast as worn away; canines absent (the last two characters as in the
Rodents); long vacuity between incisors and pre-molar; pre-molar much
smaller than molars; molars with flat crowns and very indistinct
tubercules; milk-teeth agreeing more in number and form with those seen
among Lemurs than with the permanent set; the upper jaw having its full set
of two incisors, one canine, and a pre-molar tooth present; the lower jaw
having one incisor, no canine, and one pre-molar tooth on each side. Dorsal
and lumbar vertebræ together 18, sacral 3, and caudal 22-27.
{16}Olfactory lobes of brain covered by the cerebrum; convolutions and
grooves of cerebrum similar to those in normal Lemurs. Intestine 26 inches
long; no striped tissue in the muscular sheath of the gullet at the
anterior end of the stomach. Digastric muscle (for moving the jaws) very
much developed in accordance with the great gnawing powers of the species.
Fur on back, flanks, tail, and limbs dark brown, nearly black, but with the
white of the basal half of the hairs shining through; hair woolly at base;
long hairs on top of head and back of neck tipped with white; short hairs
of face dirty white. Nose and lips naked, flesh-coloured; ears black; sides
of head and throat greyish-yellow; chest often bright yellow, the chin
paler. Inner sides of limbs yellowish-white, and on the under surface of
the body the basal part of hairs showing through, producing a pale
yellowish-white, or sub-rufous, colour. Feet and digits black. Tail black,
at its base greyish-white or greyish-brown, and often with long white hairs
throughout. The species is more nearly related to the members of the genus
_Galago_ to be described later on, than to any other of the _Lemuroidea_.
DISTRIBUTION.--The Aye-Aye is confined to the island of Madagascar. It
makes its home in the dense parts of the great forest that runs along the
eastern border of its central plateau, but only in that part of it which
separates the Sihànaka Province from that of the Betsimisàraka, which is
about 25 miles from the east coast, in latitude 17° 22[prime] S. It is more
common than has been supposed, its noctural habits and the superstitious
awe with which it is regarded accounting for its apparent rarity, and for
the contradictory reports given of its habits.
HABITS.--The Aye-Aye, whose name is derived from its call of "hai-hay," is
one of the most singular of living animals. It was first discovered by
Sonnerat during his travels in {17}Madagascar in 1780, and by him sent to
Paris. The skin remained unique in Europe for the best part of a century.
Greatly owing to the superstitious dread in which the creature is held by
the natives, it was for a long period, and is still, very difficult to
procure, or to induce the natives to capture, specimens. Mr. Baron says
that it is sometimes accidentally caught in traps by the natives, "but the
owner of the trap, unless one of those versed in the Aye-Aye mysteries who
know the charm by which to counteract its evil power, smears fat over it,
thus securing its forgiveness and goodwill, and sets it free." In 1863 Dr.
Sandwith sent a second example to Europe, the anatomy of whose body was
made the subject of an exhaustive monograph by the late Sir Richard Owen.
Since that date more than one specimen has been received alive, and its
habits and constitution are now fairly well known. The Aye-Aye is entirely
arboreal and nocturnal, sleeping during the day, with its body coiled
round, lying on its side with its bushy tail spread over it as a covering.
It suspends itself by its hind-limbs, and in this position it has been
observed in captivity by Mr. Bartlett, using its hook-like finger to comb
out its tail, to cleanse its face, the corners of its eyes, its nose,
mouth, and ears, keeping meanwhile its other fingers closed. It lives in
the depths of the forests, going about in pairs. Exquisitely keen of
hearing, it can detect by sound the boring of insects within the dead
branches of trees. Its attenuated wire-like finger acts as a probe to
discover their position, and its powerful incisor teeth are used to cut
down upon the tunnel of its prey, which consists principally of the
Andraitra, the larva of a Beetle, which it then extracts with the same
digit. The juices of plants are also supposed to form part of its food. It
drinks after the manner of many Monkeys, by dipping its fingers into the
water, and {18}drawing them through its mouth. The Aye-Aye is fearless of
Man, but in its wakeful hours, during the night, when irritated it can be
very savage and strike out with its hands. The female produces but one
young at a birth, and builds, in the fork of a tree, a ball-like nest, two
feet in diameter, with an entrance hole in the side, forming it of the
rolled up leaves of the Travellers'-tree, and lining it with small twigs
and dry leaves. (_Baron._)