;s Field Columbian Museum — Zoology, Vol. i. 



These two specimens are evidentl}' fully adult, and do not seem 

 to agree with the description of any species of Pteropus that I have 

 been able to discover. The)' are almost precisely alike, the one not 

 selected for the type, having more yellow on the back of the head, and 

 the upper part of back and sides of neck are a dark foxy or maroon 

 red instead of dark maroon like the type. In other respects there is 

 no difference between them. It is a large species with great expanse 

 of membrane. 



The locality is a new one, and although some of the members of 

 this genus have a wide distribution, it would not be surprising to find 

 one very local in its habitat. 



Regarding this species Professor Steere writes: " Leite is a more 

 modern Spanish way of spelling Leyte, the name of the more westerly 

 of the two large southeastern islands of the Philippines. The two 

 islands are practically one in fauna, and are only separated by a nar- 

 row river like arm of the sea. In this channel, at a small low island, 

 about half a mile from either shore, I procured the bats sent you, 

 labelled Leite. Here there seemed to be several species inhabiting 

 the same roost and they were hanging from the branches of tall, bare 

 bamboos. The fruit bats of the Philippines prefer small islands for 

 their roosts, but will take up with other isolated localities. I found 

 one roost on Negros occupying one immense hard wood tree standing 

 by itself far from the forest on the plains of the western side of the 

 island. Where they are not hunted for food by the natives, they 

 sometimes roost near the native houses or villages for protection. 

 Their roosts seem to be permanently occupied. We found the spec- 

 imens we procured had been feeding upon the palm juice which the 

 natives were collecting for saquir (toddy). The bats visit the trees at 

 night and drink the juice from the cups hung on the trees." 



Pteropus lucifer sp. nov. Plate XIII. 



Hab. Concepcion, Panay. Philippine Islands (Steere). 



Adult Male. Hair on top of head and occiput tipped with bright 

 yellow. Broad band on napeorange-ochraceous passing into reddish- 

 brown on upper back. Sides of head beneath ears dark chestnut. 

 Rest of back to rump blackish-brown, with a few yellowish hairs on 

 middle of back. Throat and entire under parts black, with numerous 

 grayish hairs scattered over the body, and a slight reddish tinge 

 below the throat. Hair extending a short distance on the wing mem- 

 brane above along the humerus blackish-brown like lower back. 

 Beneath, membrane covered almost entirely on both sides of the 

 humerus, and for nearly two-thirds the length of the forearm with 

 woolly reddish-brown hair. Interfemoral membrane very narrow, 



