Xlii PLASTIC CHAUACiEUS. 



and absent in Mcyicrops, Balioni/<;tei-is, Chlroncu', and Sphcerias. 

 Finally, in the Macrocjlossinii;, it is on the first stage in Notopteris 

 onh', on the third in Eonifcteris, on the fourth in Alegaloglossus, 

 Mucrojlossus, and SyfonycUris, and absent in Melonycteris and 

 JS'esoni/cteris, these two genera being the closest relatives of the 

 long-tailed JSotojiteris. 



17. C'alcar. 



The calcar is rudimentary in Fhrotes (Ej)omo2^horus section) 

 and Si/coni/cterls (subfamily Mucroghssitux), absent in Sphcerias 

 [Cynoptenis section), the moditication being in all three cases due 

 to a reduction of the lateral interfemoral ; in the two former genera 

 the interfemoral is reduced to a narrow (Flerotes) or even sublinear 

 (Syconycteris) rim along the tibia, in iSpha'rian it terminates at 

 about the middle of the til)ia. 



18. CoJour of fur. 



In the majority of Fruit-bats the prevailing tinges of the 

 coloration of the fur are a dark brown, sometimes inclining toward 

 dark hair-brown *, sometimes closely approaching to bistre, or (not 

 infrcqueutl}') washed with dull olive, the underparts being usually 

 distinctl}' paler than tlie back. To have a basis for comparison 

 this colour type may be considered the " typical " Megachiroptcran 

 coloration, and the principal modifications, exhibited by genera 

 and species differing from this " typical '' colour, may then be 

 referred to one or several of the following categories : — 



(1) The dark brown tinge may brighten to fawn-brown, 

 cafe-au-lait, fawn-drab or related tinges; or to wood -brown, 

 yellowish, buffy or even cream ; or by increasing admixture of 

 (sprinkling with) greyish hairs to pale hair-brown, ashy drab, or 

 even light silvery grey (for examples see the brief summary of 

 the colour changes in the i)rimary sections of Megachiroptera, 

 below) : 



(2) The dark brown tinge may darken into seal-brown or 

 blackish, either on the dorsal surface only (many species of Pteropus, 

 some Acerodon), or both on the dorsal and ventral surfaces (some 

 s])ecies of FtcropHs), this latter modification leading in its extreme 

 to complete melanism (Pteropus modigUaiiii., Pt. natalis, some races 

 of Pt. vampyrus ; Pleralopex ; occasionally in Pteropus alecto and 

 Pt. tytleri) ; or a darkening of the underparts may be combined with 

 a lightening of the colour of tlie dorsal surface (some races of 

 Pteropus hypomelanus ; Melonycteris): 



(3) The fur of the nape of the neck (the " mantle ") may become 

 brighter-coloured, forming a more or less strikingly-coloured 

 (chestnut, russet, tawny, buff, yellowish buff, cream-buff, whitish') 

 "tippet" contrasting with the unmodified or nearly unmodified 

 dark back (many Pteropus, Acerodon) ; or the development of a 



* Throughout the whole of this Catalogue the colours are named, as far 

 as possible, in accordance with Ridgway's ' Nomenclature of Colore ' (1886). 



