the Maucauco, in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds belonging to the order of primates, the characters of which are these: There are four fore-teeth in the upper jaw, the intermediate ones being remote; and six long, compressed, parallel teeth in the under jaw; the dog-teeth are solitary, and the grinders are somewhat lobated.
1. The tardigradus, or tail-less maucauco, a small animal found in Bengal and the island of Ceylon. It is of a very singular construction, and perhaps longer in proportion to its thickness than any other quadruped. The head is roundish, with a sharp-pointed nose, and small ears; the body is covered with short, soft, and silky ash-coloured and reddish fur; the toes are naked, and the nails flat; excepting those of the inner toe on each hind foot, which are long, crooked, and sharp. The length of the animal from the nose to the rump is sixteen inches.—It lives in the woods, and feeds on fruits: In a tame state, it appears to be fond of eggs, and it would also greedily devour small birds. This animal has the inactivity of the sloth, and creeps slowly along the ground: it is very tenacious of its hold, and makes a plaintive noise.
A variety of the above, or according to Mr Pennant a distinct species, is,
2. The loris of Buffon, or tardigradus of Seba. It has a produced dog-like visage, with the forehead high above the nose: the ears are large, thin, and rounded: the body is slender and weak: limbs are very long and slender; and thumb on each foot is more distinct, and separate from the toes: the hair on the body is universally short, and delicately soft; the colour on the upper part tawny, beneath whitish. In length, from the tip of the nose to the anus, the animal is only eight inches. It differs totally in form and in nature from the preceding; and notwithstanding the epithet of tardigradus or sloth given in Seba, it is very active, and ascends trees most nimbly. It has the actions of an ape; and, if we credit Seba, the male climbs the trees, and tastes the fruits before it presents them to its mate.
3. The mongooz, or woolly maucauco, inhabits Madagascar, and the islands to the eastward as far as Celebes. It is about the size of a cat, and has the whole upper part of the body covered with long, soft, and thick fur, a little curled or waved, of a deep brownish ash-colour; the tail is very long, covered with the same sort of hair, and of the same colour. It lives on fruits, turns its tail over its head to protect it from rain, and sleeps on trees; it is very sportive and good-natured, and very tender.
4. The catta, or ring-tailed maki, inhabits Madagascar and the neighbouring isles. It is of the size of a cat; has the hair on the top and hind-part of the head of a deep ash-colour, the back and sides reddish, the belly and insides of the limbs white; all its hair is very soft; close and fine, and erect like the pile of velvet; the tail is twice the length of the body. It is very good natured, and has all the life of a monkey, with out its mischievous disposition; it is very cleanly, and has a weak cry. In a wild state they go in troops of 30 or 40, and are easily tamed when taken young.
5. The caudatus-niger, or ruffed maucauco, (the Vari of Buffon), is also an inhabitant of Madagascar. It is somewhat larger than the last; and has long hair standing out round the sides of the head like a ruff; a long tail; the colour of the whole animal generally black, but sometimes white spotted with black. In a wild state, it is very fierce; and makes such a violent noise in the woods, that the cries of two might be easily mistaken for the noise made by a hundred.
6. The volans, or flying maucauco, resembles a bat; being furnished with a strong membrane like that animal, by which it is enabled to fly. It inhabits the country about Guzarat, the Molucca isles, and the Philippines; feeds on the fruits of the trees, and is very distinct both from the bat and flying squirrel. Its history, however, is very little known.
7. The tarfer of Buffon (ranked by Mr Pennant under this genus) has a pointed visage; slender nose, bilobated at the end: eyes large and prominent: ears erect, broad, naked, semitransparent, an inch and a half long, with a tuft of hairs between them on the top of the head, and long hairs on each side of the nose and on the upper eye-brow. In each jaw are two cutting and two canine teeth; which form an exception in this genus. There are four long slender toes and a distinct thumb on each foot; the thumbs on the hind feet very broad and greatly dilated at their ends: the tail is almost naked; the greater part round and scaly like that of a rat, but growing hairy towards the end, which is tufted. The penis is pendulous; and the scrotum and testicles are of a vast size in proportion to the animal. The length of the animal from nose to tail is near six inches; to the hind toes eleven and a half, the hind legs, like those of the jerboa, being of a great length; Lemures length; the tail is nine inches and a half long. It inhabits the remotest islands of India, especially Amboina; and is called by the Macassars podje.
8. The little maucauca has a rounded head, sharp nose, long whiskers; two canine teeth in each jaw; four cutting teeth in the upper jaw, six in the lower; seven grinders on each side; the nearest sharp, the more distant lobated; the ears are large, roundish, naked, and membranaceous; the eyes very large and full. The toes are long, and of unequal lengths; the ends round; the nails round, and very short; except that of the first toe, which is long and sharp; the tail is hairy, of the length of the body, and prehensile. The animal is rather less than the black rat; and, in Mr Pennant's opinion, seems to be the same which Buffon calls le rat de Madagascar. It is supposed to live in the palm-trees, and feed on fruits. It holds its food in its fore-feet like squirrels; is lively, and has a weak cry; and when it sleeps, it rolls itself up.
There are three or four other species; those above described are figured on Plate CCLXVIII.