The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-15
GREAT GRANDFATHER OF MAN,
Monsieur Tarsier, New Acquisition ir
the Philippine Islands.

Along with Tagals. Ygorottes and
| other queer human beings Uncle Sam
| has annexed in the Philippine islands
| IS the tarsier, an animal which is now
| declared to be the grandfather of man.
The tarsier is the ancestor of the COM
| mon monkey, who is the ancestor of the
anthropoid ape, who is the ancestor of
| man.
A real tarsier will soon make his ap-
pearance at the national geological
park. His arrival is awaited with in
tense interest.
| Monsieur Tarsier is very gifted ami
| mai. He derives his name from the
enormous development of the tarsus, or
ankle bones of his legs. His ewes are
| enormous, so that he can see in the
| dark. They even caused him to be
called a ghost. His fingers and toes
are provided with large pads, which
| enable him to hold on to almost any
| thing.
Professor Hubrecht of the University
| of Utrecht has lately discovered that
Monsieur Tarsier is no less parsonage
than a "link' connecting Grandfather
Monkey with his ancestors. Thus the
evolutionary scale would be changed by
Professor Hubrecht to run: Man ape,
monkey, tarsier and so on, tarsier ap-
pearlns as what may be popularity
termed the great-grandfather of man
kind.
Tarsier may best be described as hav-
| ing face like an owl and a body, limbs
ana TAI like those of monkey. His sit
| ting height is about that of a squirrel
| AS his enormous optics would lead one
| to suppose, he cuts capers in the night
| and sleeps in the daytime, concealed
| usually in abandoned clearings, where
new growth has sprung up to a height
| OF ~ feet or more Very often he sleeps
in standing posture. grasping the
| lower stem of a small tree with his long
and slender fingers and toes. During
| his nightly Wanderings he utters a
| squeak like that of a monkey. During
the day the pupils of his eyes contract
to fine lines, but after dark expand un-
til they fill most of the irises From his
habit of feeding only upon insects he
has strong. bat-like odor.
John Whitehead. who has spent the
last three years studying the animals
of the Philippines, foreshadoWs the
probable behavior of the tarsier when
he arrives at the national 900" 'f1e
Philippine natives call the little crea-
ture 'mOgou."
In Samar," says Mr.. Whitehead, in a
report just received a the Smithsonian,
where at different times I kept several
tarsierS alive. l found them very docile
and easily managed during the day.
heN Iced freely Off graSShOppors, sit
| Ting on their launches on my hand.
When offered an insect the tarsier
would stare for d short time with its
| most wonderful eyes, then slowly bend
| forward. and, with a sudden dash,
| would seize the insect with both hands
! ana instantly carry it to its mouth
| shutting its eyes and screwing up its
| 1ln% face in a most whimsical fashion
| Inc grassh"pner was then quickly pass
| ca through the sharp little teeth. the
kicking legs being held with both hands
When the insect was beyond further
| mischief the large eyes of the tarsier
| would open and the legs and wings were
| then bitten off, While the rest of the
| body was thoroughly masticated. NV
! captive would also drink fresh milk
from spoon. After the sun had set
| this little animal become most difficult
| to manage, escaping when possible and
making tremendous jumps from chair to
/ chair. When on the floor it bounded
| about like a miniature kangaroo. trav-
! cling about the room on its hind legs
with the tail stretched out and curved
| upward, uttering peculiar, shrill, mon
| key-like squeaks and biting quite yici-
ously when the opportunity offered."-
| Chicago Chronicle.