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Show 121 MR. P. E. BEDDARD ON THE [Feb. 19, figured by Milue-Edwards l. Both of the gentlemen to whom I referred further informed me that in //. simus there were no traces of these peculiar modifications of the skin of the wrist. But in dried skins, structures of this kind might conceivably be missed. I am therefore glad to have the opportunity of statiug that in the fresh H. simus, which forms the subject of the present communication, there are no traces at all of any modification of the skin of the forearm such as characterizes Hapalemur griseus. These two species are regarded by most systematists as perfectly distinct, though it may be admitted that the general aspect of the two is not very different2. Influenced probably by this latter consideration, Mr. Lydekker observed in the ' Royal Natural History ' (vol. i. p. 217) that the Broad-nosed Lemur (H. simus) does not appear to be more than a variety of the Gentle Lemur (H. griseus). The above-stated facts, even if there were no others, seem to show plainly that the two forms of Hapalemur are distinctly entitled to separate specific names. There is one other fact of external structure which distinguishes the present species from its congener. Shortly after m y description of the arm-gland and patch of spines upon the forearm of the male H. griseus, Mr. Blaud Sutton discovered and figured 3 in this Lemur and in some others a tuft of long hairs in close proximity to the patch of spines. Since that time I have found a similar tuft of hairs on the arms of mammals belonging to other orders than the Lemures i, and have expressed the opinion that they are possibly general in such creatures as use their forearms as grasping or climbing organs. It had appeared to m e further, that this tuft of loug. often black, hairs, which are quite unmistakable, are not to be looked upon as a sexual character. I was therefore much surprised at being totally unable to detect the faintest vestige of them in the female Hapalemur simus upon which I comment in the present communication. I believe that there is no doubt about their absence ; I looked with extreme care for them and removed the skin in order to find-if it were present-the strong nerve-twig which is at least often associated with them in other mammals. This was totally absent. Having by m e a number of carefully sexed skins of.olher Lemurs, 1 investigated this question further. In females of Lemur albifrons, L. anjuanensis, L. brunneus, L. coro-natus, and L. mongoz I found a tuft of three or four long hairs upon the forearm shown with perfect distinctness; I also observed the same in males of the species L. albimanus, L. brunneus, I. albifrons, and L. rufifrous. On the other hand, in a female skin of each of the species L. mongoz, L. nigrifrons, and L.anjuan- 1 Histoire Naturelle &c. de Madagascar. 2 Dr. Gray (P. Z. S. 1872, p. 832) observed that " it has been suggested that the colour of H. griseus and H. simus are so alike that they are only the sexes of the same species." 3 " On the Arm-gland of Lemurs," P. Z. S. 1887, p. 369. 4 " O n the Anatomy of Bassari(•y^>n,, P. Z. S. 1890, p. 661, and 'Nature,' vol. lxii. p. 523. |