_Indris brevicaudatus_, Geoffr., Mag. Encycl., 2 ed. Ann., p. 46 (1796).
_Indris variegatus_, Gray, Ann. and Mag. N. H. (4), x., p., 474 (1872).
_Indris brevicaudatus_, Milne-Edwards and Grandid., Hist. Nat. Madag.,
Mamm., i., p. 336 (with full synonymy), Atlas, pls. xi.-xii.
(_Plate XII._)
CHARACTERS.--The peculiar features of the species, as given below, are
necessarily those of the genus also.
Fur long and woolly, extremely variable in its coloration. Head rounded,
longer than it is broad; muzzle moderately long, covered with very short
hairs; fingers and toes haired to the finger-tips; external ears rounded,
exserted, and more developed than in _Avahis_ or _Propithecus_, with long
and tufted {106}hair forming a fringe all round. Median nose-pad high and
narrow; pupil of eye circular; body elongated; arms about one quarter of
the length of the legs; hands very long, the four outer fingers united by a
membrane as far as the first joint, and the toes to the centre of their
middle segments; hands and feet haired to the tips. Tail rudimentary.
Skull longer and less vaulted; brain-case proportionately more compressed
from side to side; the muzzle longer, and the orbit smaller, than in
_Avahis_; floor of orbit higher than the bony margin of the jaw;
inter-orbital space flat; nasal bones, though long, not extending in front
as far as the end of the pre-maxillary bone; mandible elongated, narrower,
and less deep than in _Avahis_. Bony palate short, posterior margin
thickened, and with a foramen behind the posterior molar; line of union of
the two halves of the lower jaw shorter than in _Avahis_; its angle very
large. No central bone in the wrist (or _carpus_); hind-limb (with or
without the foot), compared with the fore-limb (with or without the hand),
longer than in any other of the Primates, except _Galago_. _Upper teeth_:
Incisors, sub-equal, set close together and subject to variation in size;
canine, vertically taller than, and not separated by a gap from, the
pre-molar; pre-molars compressed, and having an inner cusp; anterior
molars, four-cusped, with the supplementary cusps weak, and with no oblique
ridge; anterior and median, with their outer and inner cusps opposite;
posterior molar, which is the smallest grinder of the jaw--four-cusped,
with transverse, but no oblique ridges. _Lower teeth_: Incisors, with
marked longitudinal ridges to the outside (peculiar to this genus);
pre-molars sub-equal; molars all four-cusped, and the posterior ones
expanded behind.
Brain highly organised. A large laryngeal pouch (present {107}also in the
foetus), but differing from that of the Apes, is placed between the gullet
and windpipe, communicating with the latter by an orifice: main arteries of
the fore- and hind-limbs not broken up into a _rete mirabile_ of small
parallel vessels, as in many species of Lemurs.
Face naked, sometimes blackish, generally dark grey; lips downy; head,
neck, back, shoulders, arms, and hands, deep black; fore-arms faintly
washed with rufous; a large patch, widening from the middle of the back
downwards to the lower back, rump, and root of the tail pure white, washed
with orange or red; a patch on each flank, pale, becoming rufous or
greyish-white, separated from the rump-spot by black bands continuing down
the outer side of the inner face of the thighs, and the front and inner
sides of the legs; thighs ashy-grey, their upper two-thirds greyish,
becoming black on the front, and ashy-grey on the hinder surface, of the
leg. Feet black; tail stumpy, fawn-colour, brownish-grey at the tip; under
side rusty brown; abdomen grey; heel rufous.
Many varieties of this species have been met with. Of these, some have the
top of the head and between the eyes greyish-white, mixed here and there
with black; jaws and throat, grey; ears, neck, back and upper part of arms,
black; the fore-arms grey; the hands black; a patch on the lower back
ashy-grey; flanks bright rufous; legs grey; band on front of the thighs
black; heel bright rufous.
Other examples have a mark over each eyebrow, the fore-limbs nearly to the
hands, the hinder part of the thighs, the legs from the knee to the ankle,
and the whole under side iron-grey; the ankles and hind part of the heels
white, yellow below. (_Indris variegatus_, Gray.)
All stages between the forms here described and complete {108}albinos are
known; so that the various differences observed prove them to be only
individual variations of the same species.
DISTRIBUTION.--The Endrina is confined to the woods looking eastward, on
the two high ranges along the eastern coast, between the Bay of Antongil on
the north and the River Masora on the south.
HABITS.--The "Endrina," "Bàbakòto," or "Amboanala" (Dog of the Forest), as
the natives variously name this species, has the same habits as the
Sifakas. It is the largest of the Lemurs, and is diurnal. It derives its
appellation of "Dog of the Forest" from the doleful, dog-like howls which
it utters. In this habit it differs, therefore, from most of the other
groups (except the True Lemurs), which are, as a rule, rather silent. Its
powerful voice is due to the distensible resonator which it possesses in
its laryngeal pouch, described above. Essentially diurnal, the Endrinas
live in small companies, and feed only on vegetable diet. The hook-like
fingers of their hands are better adapted for climbing than for prehension,
and much of their food is, indeed, seized by the mouth. They are entirely
arboreal, and move about the trees in an erect position, rarely coming to
the ground. The "Bàbakòto" is held in great veneration by most of the
native tribes.
M. Pollen gives several other particulars of these Lemurs, and of the
curious notions of the Malagasy respecting them. Their native name is
"Bàbakòto," literally "Father-child" (or "boy"), not "Indri," as stated by
Sonnerat, who discovered the species. _Indri_, or _Indry_, is a Malagasy
word meaning "lo!" or "behold!" and was probably mistaken by him and other
Europeans for the vernacular name of the animal when the {109}natives
exclaimed, "Indry izy!" ("There he is!"). Dr. A. Vinson says that, in
passing through the great Eastern forest, he was assailed for two days by
the incessant clamour of these Lemurs, which seem to keep together in large
companies, but are invisible in the dense foliage. The natives have a
superstitious veneration for these animals, and consider them as sacred.
They believe that their ancestors change after death into _Bàbakòto_, and
that the trees where these animals live supply infallible remedies against
otherwise incurable diseases. The people say that it is very dangerous to
kill these Lemurs with spears, because if a spear is hurled against one of
them it seizes the spear in its flight without being itself hurt, and in
its turn stabs with certain aim those attacking it. They also relate that
when the female has borne a young one, she takes the little creature in her
arms and tosses it to her mate, who is seated on a neighbouring tree, and
that he throws it back to the female. If the little one does not fall to
the ground after being subjected to this exercise for a dozen times, the
parents bring it up with the greatest care; but, if the contrary event
happens, they abandon it, not even troubling to pick it up. In certain
parts of Madagascar, says M. Pollen, the people employ the _Bàbakòto_ in
chasing birds, and they say that it renders as good service as a Dog. These
animals, although principally fruit-eaters, do not disdain small birds,
which they catch with much skill, in order to eat their brains.
This Lemuroid is probably the best known to travellers in Madagascar, at
least by ear, as no one can travel along the most frequented route in the
island, that from Tamatave to Antananarivo, without often hearing the cries
of these animals as he passes through the great forest. They are not often
seen, but their long drawn-out melancholy cries are frequently heard, a
{110}strange wailing sound, as if of people in distress, or children
crying. Dr. Vinson says that the Bètànimèna tribe let these animals at
liberty if they find them in captivity, and give them burial should they
find them dead. They relate that a certain tribe, at war with its
neighbours, took refuge in the forests; their enemies, in pursuing them,
led by the sound of human voices, as they supposed, found before them a
troop of _Bàbakòto_, at whose appearance they were struck with terror. They
fled, persuaded that the fugitives had been changed into beasts. These, on
the other hand, vowed eternal gratitude to the Lemurs who had saved them,
and have ever since religiously refrained from injuring them in any way.