SOME KONKAN BATS. 717 



northward to the Tapti River (and including a narrow belt of jungle 

 country, from 10 to 20 miles wide, on the north bank of that river). 

 A few specimens were also contributed by Mr. J. Dodgson, Indian 

 Forest Service, collected by him in the Thana District. 



I have adopted the classification followed in Blanford's Mammalia 

 subject to certain alterations in nomenclature, rendered necessary by 

 more recent publications, which I shall indicate in due course. I give 

 all measurements in miliimetres, including those given by Blanford in 

 indies. One inch is very anproximately equal to 25 millimetres. The 

 numbers in brackets refer to Blanford's '' Mammalia." 



The sub-order MEGACHIROPTERA, which comprises the fruit- 

 eating bats, contains the single family PTEROPODID^ which is 

 represented in our area by two genera, viz : — 



Ptebopus. 



The flying-fox, partly because it was so common, a ad partly because 

 I could not spare leisure to prepare such largo specimens, is not re- 

 presented in my collection. Our local species is no doubt Ptewpus 

 medius^ Temminck (No. 134 in the Mammalia) ; but, in view of the 

 number of synonyms recorded by Blanford, it would not be safe to say 

 that the species will not again have to be split up wdien series of speci- 

 mens from various localities are available for study. Such series 

 especially if they also represent the seasonal changes (if any), are a 

 great desideratum. 



Cynopterus. 

 I have only collected C. marginatus, Geoff. (No. 138) at Bandra, 

 but have seen it at various places throughout our area. It is quite 

 common and of considerable size, but it flies very low and swiftly, 

 dodging about amongst bushes and low trees in search of fruit, 

 and hence escapes notice unless looked for. Any one who chooses to 

 watch a plantain tree in flower, about half an hour after sunset, is 

 pretty certain to get a chance of making its acquaintance. I ha\e 

 found it feeding on wild tigs, but it seems to be especially fonil of 

 plantain flowers, and must do much damage in the gardens along the 

 coast. 



The white margin to the ears, noted by Blanford, is most charac- 

 teristic ; the only specimen in the British Museum in which it is 

 missing is an immature female sent by Mr. Dodgson from Bandra. 



