AUTHOR S I'KEFACE. 



these, if not all, are almost certainly not in existence), viz. Eiclohn 

 heJvxim (once in the Mnseum Leverianum), Pteropus hypomelanus 

 tomesi (once in the possession of Mr. L. L. Dillwyn), Pteroims 

 suhniger (Cabinet lleaumur), Pteropvs rufus (Paris Museum), 

 Pteropus nir/er (ancient Royal Cabinet, Paris), Pteropus polio- 

 ceplialus (based on specimens in Leyden, Paris, and London, none 

 of which can now be traced with certainty), Micropiteropus p>usillus 

 (cotypes once in the Tomes Collection and Paris Museum), Cijno- 

 pterus sphinx (ancient " Naturhistorie-Selskab," Copenhagen), 

 Nyciimene cephalot€s (described by Pallas), and Macror/lossus 

 minimus (Paris Museum). — That the sum total (234) is a little 

 in excess of the number of recognized forms (228) is due to the 

 fact that in a few cases the cotypes of one form are preserved in 

 different collections. 



The 228 forms have been described by the following fifty-seven 

 writers (those, seventeen in number, who have described eutypes 

 preserved in the I3ritish Museum are marked with an asterisk) : — 



Allen (G. M.), 1. 

 Allen (H.), 1. 



* Andersen, 57. 



* Anderson & de Win- 



ton, 1. 

 ' Blyth, 1. 



* Bocage, 'i. 

 Briinnich, 1. 

 Desniarest, 2. 

 De Vis, 1. 



* Dobson, 13. 

 Elliot, 1. 

 Eschscboltz, 1. 

 Geoffroy (E.), 7. 



* Gould, 1. 



* Gray, 16. 

 Hallowell, 1. 

 Heude, 2. 

 Heuglin, 1. 



* Hodgson, 1. 

 Hombron & Jacquijiot, 



1. 

 Jentink, 3. 

 Kelaart, 1. 

 Kerr, 3. 



* Lay, 1. 



* Linne, 1. 



* MacGillivray, 1. 

 Mason, 1. 

 Matscbie, 8. 

 Mearns, 2. 

 Miller, 10. 

 Milne-Edwards, 1. 

 Miiller (S.), 1. 



* Nicoll, 1. 



* Ogilby, 1. 

 Pageustecher, 1. 

 Pallas, 1. 



Peale, 1. 

 Pelers, 20. 

 Peters & Doria, 1. 

 Quoy & Gaimard, 3. 

 Ramsay, 1. 

 Scblegel, I. 



* Sclater (P. L.), 1. 

 Seabra, 1. 



* Smith (A.), 1. 

 Sundevall, 1. 

 Teinminck, 15. 



* Thomas, 24. 



* Thomas & Wroughton, 



2 



Tomes, 1. 

 Tronessart, 2. 

 True, 1. 

 Vabl, 1. 

 Zelebor, 1. 



The types of 185 forms have been examined by me, and of ten 

 other forms I have had paratypes for inspection. With regard to 

 the remaining thirty-three forms, I have seen topotypes of nineteen, 

 of two types I have had photographs of the skull and dentition, 

 and two have been examined for me by others. This leaves only 

 ten forms, but of six of these the types are, either certainly or 

 probably, not in existence, leaving finally the following four, 

 viz. Pteropus papuanus, Dobsonia pannietensis, Epomops dobsoni, 

 and Megalo(jlossus xvoermanni, but in none of these four cases is 

 there any doubt as to the identification of the species. 



