Mr. Bartlett, of the Zoological Gardens, states that the faculty of attention which is necessary for imitation, obedience, and teaching, is a very variable one amongst the same species of Monkeys, and told Mr. Darwin the following anecdote:--“A man who trains Monkeys to act used to purchase common kinds from the Zoological Society at the cost of five pounds for each, but he offered to give double that price if he might keep three or four of them for a few days, in order to select one. When asked how he could possibly so soon learn whether a particular Monkey world turn out a good actor, he answered that it all depended on their power of attention. If, when he was talking and explaining anything to a Monkey, its attention was easily distracted, as by a fly on the wall, or other trifling object, the case was hopeless. If he tried punishment to make an inattentive Monkey act, it turned sulky. On the other hand, a Monkey which carefully attended to him could always be trained.” Very little is known about the family habits of the Monkey, and whether they have one, two, or many wives; but in some instances, where the colour of the male and his ornamentation differs from that of the female, it has been possible to trace their habits. Thus, the Gorilla is undoubtedly a polygamist, and the males and females differ. So it is with the Baboons, which live in troops or herds containing twice as many adult females as males. Amongst the South American Monkeys the Howler (_Mycetes caraya_) usually lives with two or three wives, and is distinguished from them by his voice, colour, and beard; and the Capuchin, which also differs from the female, is probably polygamous. The good example of having one wife set by some Monkeys is utterly lost upon some Eastern potentates. Thus, Sir John Lubbock states, that an intelligent Kandyan chief--of course a polygamist--was perfectly scandalised at the utter barbarism of living with only one wife, and never parting until separated by death. “It was,” he said, “just like the Wanderoo Monkey.” P. MARTIN DUNCAN. CHAPTER XIV. THE LEMUROIDA. THE GENERA INDRIS AND LEPILEMUR HAPALEMUR. The Name of the Genus Lemur popularly given to the Group--Lemuroida the Correct Name--Their Distinctive Characters--Their Hands and Feet--Ankle-bones--Tail--_Rete Mirabile_--Nostrils--Colour of the Eye--Ears--Teeth--Brain--Resemblance to Monkeys--Their Locality--Lemur at Liberty--Its Playfulness--Division of the Lemurs--Beauties of Madagascar--GENUS INDRIS--Described by Grandidier--Their Locality--Colour--Fingers--Teeth--THE DIADEM INDRIS--Specimens at the British Museum--Little known about it--THE WOOLLY LEMUR--Described by Sonnerat--THE SHORT-TAILED INDRIS--Distinguished by its Tail--Its Skull--GENUS LEPILEMUR--Their Teeth--Tail--THE WEASEL LEMUR--THE GREY LEMUR--Specimens obtained by Pollen--Their Cry.