Nearly all the Lemurs have long tails, long and fine hair, large eyes and pointed muzzles. Many of them are strikingly colored in various shades of black, white and gray. All Lemurs are supposed to be of nocturnal habit, and in fact they really are; but the specimens in the large jungle cage of the Primate House are quite as lively and interesting in the daytime as most of the monkeys. So far from manifesting a disposition to retire to dark corners, they love to lie in the sunshine.
The Ruffed Lemur, or Black-and-White Lemur, (_Lemur varia_), is the handsomest member of this entire group. Its fur is very long, silky, and alternately pure white and jet black. The Ring-Tailed Lemur has a very long, pointed tail, ornamented with about 25 alternating rings of brown and gray, which it carries very gracefully. This species is of a more lively disposition than most others. The curious Indri has not up to this time come into the collection, but it is expected in the near future. When it arrives it can at once be recognized by the entire absence of a tail, except a mere stump, and by its large hands and feet.
Of its buildings for animals, the Elephant House is the culminating feature of the Zoological Park, and it comes quite near to being the last of the series. In token of these facts, it is fittingly crowned with a dome. Through its position in the general plan it closes a wide gap, and effectively links together the northern and southern halves of the establishment.
The erection of this great structure began in 1907, and the building was completed and its inmates housed in the fall of 1908. The yards surrounding the structure were finished in 1909.
Any building which can comfortably accommodate a representative collection of the largest of all living land animals, must unquestionably be large and substantial. There is no pleasure in seeing a ponderous elephant chained to the floor of a small room, unable even to walk to and fro, and never permitted to roam at will in the open air and sunlight. It is no wonder that dungeon-kept elephants go mad, and do mischief. If an elephant--or for that matter any animal--cannot be kept in _comfortable_ captivity, then let it not be kept at all.