l, the partition between the nostrils being in
consequence narrower than usual. The ears are short, and the hair round
the eyes forms a disk. Douroucoulis live in parties, and are purely
nocturnal, sleeping during the day in hollow trees, and coming out at
night to feed on insects and fruits, when they utter piercing cat-like
screams.

DOUSA, JANUS [Jan van der Does], lord of Noordwyck (1545-1604), Dutch
statesman, historian, poet and philologist, and the heroic defender of
Leiden, was born at Noordwyck, in the province of Holland, on the 6th of
December 1545. He began his studies at Lier in Brabant, became a pupil
of Henry Junius at Delft in 1560, and then passed on in succession to
Louvain, Douai and Paris. Here he studied Greek under Pierre Dorat,
professor at the College Royal, and became acquainted with the
chancellor L'Hopital, Turnebus, Ronsard and other eminent men. On his
return in 1565 he married Elizabeth van Zuylen. His name stands in the
list of nobles who in that year formed a league against Philip II. of
Spain, but he does not appear to have taken any active part in public
affairs till 1572, when he was sent as a member of an embassy to
England. He was not, however, at first very eager to commit himself to
the fortunes of William the Silent, prince of Orange, but having once
chosen his side, he threw himself heart and soul into the struggle for
freedom from the Spanish yoke. Fortunately for Leiden he was residing in
the town at the time of the famous siege. He held no post in the
government, but in the hour of need he, though not trained to arms,
took the command of a company of troops. His fearlessness and unshaken
resolution had no small influence in encouraging the regents and the
citizens to prolong the defence. On the foundation of the university of
Leiden by William the Silent, Dousa was appointed first curator, and he
held this office for nearly thirty years. Through his friendships with
foreign scholars he drew to Leiden many illustrious teachers and
professors. After the assassination of the prince of Orange in 1584,
Dousa undertook a private journey to England to try and persuade Queen
Elizabeth to support the cause of the states, and in 1585 he went at the
head of a formal embassy for the same purpose. About the same time he
was appointed keeper of the archives of Holland (_registermeester van
Holland_), and the opportunities thus afforded him of historical
research he turned to good acco