The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-02-19
MEN AND MONKEYS.
THE OWARFS AND TIE LEMURS or
MADAGASCAR

People Who Average Only Feet
Inches In Height Queer Little Animals
Which Are Considered Connecting Links
Between Monkeys and Lower Orders.
There are at least two distinct tribes
Of Malagasy dwarfs, who are among
the smallest people in the world. The
Kimos average only feet 6 inches in
height. They are rather light IN color,
have remarkably long arms and are
bold IN defending their territory, using
spear and bow. OF pastoral habits, they
excel IN certain handicrafts- They dwell
IN the southern center of the island, at
a high elevation above the sea-
Even more monkeylike are the Be
hOsy, who occupy densely wooded
country among the hills of Bemaraha.
They Jump from tree TO tree just like
monkeys and are not easily followed,
inasmuch as their territory is exceed
ingly rocky. They are very timid, and
it is said that they die of fright when
captured. In the northern part Of Mad
agascar is the most remarkable natural
| fortress in the world. 1t is occupied by
a tribe who call themselves the people
of the rocks The fortress is a lofty
and precipitous rock, of enormous size,
| 1000 feet high and eight square miles
| in area. It's sides are so steep that it
cannot be climbed without artificial
means. Within it is hollow, and the
only entrance Is by a subterranean
passage, a portion of which is so narrow
| that only one person can pass at time,
while on either side of the path Is deep
water.
There is plenty of room for explora-
ton and fresh discovery in Madagascar,
which is the third largest island i'll the
world. 1t is nearly four times the. size
Of England and Wales, having an area
of 230, 900 square miles. The most re-
markable animals found there are the
true lemurs, which exist nowhere else
in the world, though related forms oc-
cur III Africa and India. They are re-
garded by naturalists as links connect
ing the monkeys with the lower mann
mails There are about 30 species, and
the collection made by DR.. w. f. Alb
bolt contains one that is entirely new
to science. The biggest are about three
feet long.
One Of the most remarkable species is
called the "specter" because it is pure
white, and in going about at night has
striking and ghostlike appearance.
Other kinds are black, with bands of
yellow and red-in fact, they are very
striking looking animals. Roughly
speaking, they are divided into two
groups-the long tailed and the short
tailed The latter do not survive cap
tivity for any length of time, but the
long tailed ones have been brought TO
Europe and have been induced to breed
in cages, especially peculiar ring tail
ed species.
There used to be lemurs in North
America long ages before man appeared
ON this continent. Professor Cope, the
famous paleontologist, found the skull of
one in Colorado few years ago. He
regards it as the most precious object in
his great collection of fossils. The skull
is not bigger than squirrels. Anato-
mistS classify animals by their teeth
more accurately than in any other way.
The jaws of this small lemur are pro-
vided with q dentition so surprisingly
humanlike that one might actually inn
agine the teeth TO be those of a minia-
ture man.
1t is thought that the lemurs may
have originated on the American CONT
nent and spread westward TO Asia over
land route which has since disap-
peared. That is only speculative the
DRY. 1t is practically certain that there
was anciently a land connection between
Madagascar and Africa. A great geo
logical CONFUSION having separated the
island from the mainland, the lemurs in
Madagascar found conditions favorable
for their survival, while elsewhere they
disappeared Thus it comes about that
this strange group of mammals is re-
stricted to Madagascar today. They are
very monkeylike. In fact, they might
be called low down monkeys They live
in trees and feed on fruits and insects.
The lemurS wandered about in flOcks.
By means of their strong hind legs they
are able TO leap from tree to tree dis
tances of ten feet or more, so that they |
look as If they We're flying. Occasionally |
they betake themselves TO the ground, |
walking for short spaces erect and way
ing their arms over their heads IN such |
way as to present "a remarkable effect.
Toward nightfall the forests resound |
with their startled cries. They eat the |
eggs of birds when they can get them. |
Though disposed by nature to be shy, |
they are quite harmless and tamable TO |
some extent in captivity.
At night the woods of Madagascar |
are vocal with the wailing cries of the |
lemurs, which sound like the lamenta-
lions of human beings in distress. These
creatures have heads more foxlike than |
monkeylike, with sharp muzzles and |
large, expressive eyes. The smallest
species of lemur is about the size Of
big rat. Another kind has white whisk-
ers, and yet another is provided with
a bushy tail, which IN repose Is usually |
coiled around the animals neck like
comforter.
Borrowing In India.