File:Modern travel, a record of exploration, travel (1921) (14777537194).jpg

Identifier: moderntravelreco00davi (find matches)
Title: Modern travel, a record of exploration, travel
Year: 1921 (1920s)
Authors: Davidson, Norman James. (from old catalog)
Subjects: Voyages and travels
Publisher: Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott company London, Seeley, Service & co., ltd.
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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. The aye-aye, though apparently notscarce, is difficult to obtain, as it comes from its retreatonly at night, besides which the people have a supersti-tious fear of it, so that even a large reward is ofteninsufficient to induce them to attempt its capture. It is included among the four-handed animals, but itis very unlike the monkeys, having a smaller brain andmuch less intelligence, and from its powerful teethwas at first thought to be a link between them and therodentia, or gnawing animals. Its food consists of awood-boring larva, which tunnels into the wood ofcertain trees. To obtain these the animal is furnishedwith most powerful chisel-shaped incisor teeth, withwhich it cuts away the outer bark. As, however, thegrub retreats to the end of its hole, one of the fingersof the aye-ayes hands is slightly lengthened, but muchdiminished in thickness, and is furnished with a hook-like claw. This finger is used as a probe, inserted in thetunnel, and the dainty morsel drawn forth from its
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Old Vii,lage Gateway with Circular Stone The stone is levered into position closing and opening. A deep fosse or ditch surroundingthe village completes ics fortification. The man in front is carrying two packages secured to apole in the usual manner of the country. MADAGASCAR : NATURES MUSEUM 185 hiding-place. Its eyes being very large it can see wellin the night, and its widely expanded ears can catch thefaint sound of the grub at work, and the thumbs of thefeet, largely developed, enable the animal to take afirm hold of the tree while using its teeth. The creature somewhat resembles a large cat in size,being about three feet in total length, of which its largebushy tail forms quite half. Its colour is dark brown,the throat being yellowish grey. The probe finger isused when the aye-aye drinks ; it is carried so rapidlyfrom the water to the mouth that the liquid seems topass in a continual stream. A remarkable fact aboutthe structure of the lower jaw is that the two sides arejoined to

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