GALAGO

galago, the senegal name of the long-tailed african representatives of the lemur-like primates, which has been adopted as their technical designation. till recently the galagos have been included in the family _lemuridae_; but this is restricted to the lemurs of madagascar, and they are now classed with the lorises and pottos in the family _nycticebidae_, of which they form the section _galaginae_, characterized by the great elongation of the upper portion of the feet (tarsus) and the power of folding the large ears. throughout the greater part of africa south of the sahara galagos are widely distributed in the wooded districts, from senegambia in the west to abyssinia in the east, and as far south as natal. they pass the day in sleep, but are very active at night, feeding on fruits, insects and small birds. when they descend to the ground they sit upright, and move about by jumping with their hind-legs like jerboas. they are pretty little animals, varying from the size of a small cat to less than that of a rat, with large eyes and ears, soft woolly fur and long tails. there are several species, of which _g. crassicaudatus_ from mozambique is the largest; together with _g. garnetti_ of natal, _g. agisymbanus_ of zanzibar, and _g. monteiroi_ of angola, this represents the subgenus _otolemur_. the typical group includes _g. senegalensis_ (or _galago_) of senegal, _g. alleni_ of west and central africa, and _g. moholi_ of south africa; while _g. demidoffi_ of west and central africa and _g. anomurus_ of french congoland represent the subgenus _hemigalago_. (r. l.*)