Temminck's Monographhs de Mammalogie, 455 



Monographies de Mammalogie : par C. J. Temminck. Livraisons 

 5—7. 4to, 



The genus Pteropus, which forms the subject of the fifth Mono- 

 graph, was originally proposed by Brissoii, but it appears to be 

 impossible now to ascertain from which of the species contained 

 in it his characters were derived. It was however adopted by 

 succeeding writers, although no clear idea of it or of its extent 

 was obtained, until the publication by M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, 

 in the 15th volume of the Annales du Museum, of his very able 

 memoirs on the Cheiroptera, In the article dedicated to this 

 genus, the Roussette of the French and many continental authours, 

 that learned professor described eleven species, the greater part 

 of which were new ; but of these M, Temminck considers two to 

 be merely varieties. By the discoveries of recent travellers the 

 number has since been considerably increased, and we are here 

 presented with no less than seventeen well-determined species. 

 They are divided into three sections, which are characterized 

 chiefly by the presence or absence of the tail. We propose to 

 enumerate them in the order in which they occur, dwelling of 

 course especially on those which dre now for the first time no? 

 ticed. 



* Snout more or less elongated : tail none : interfemoral mem- 

 brane more or less rudimentary. Entirely frugivorous. 



1. P. eduliSy the P. Javanicus of Dr. Horsfield and Ternate 

 Bat of Pennant. It includes the P. edulis and P. Edwardsii of 

 Geoffroy, which exhibit no differences except unimportant varia- 

 tions in colouring. 



2. P. medius. When adult equal in size only to young indivi- 

 duals of the preceding species. Form slender ; but the body 

 and snout shorter than in P. edulis i membrane of flight much 

 narrower, especially near the coccyx. Ears long and pointed. 

 Head, occiput, throat, and region of the insertion of the wings, 

 blackish chesuut; back blackish, slightly tinged with brown ; 

 back of the neck yellowish rufous ; sides of the neck, and all the 

 under surface, except the throat and the humeral region, of a 

 brown red resembling the colour of dead leaves j membranes 



