I'TEituiTs liF.niniir. ]S*J 



24. Pteropus geddiei, MurGil/iviui/. 

 I'Uropus Ice rail dre id (pt.), Dohson, Cat. Chir. B. M. p. 0:5. 



Pteropus geddiei, MacGUUvray, Zoologist, x\ni. p. 7V-H (Sept. 1800: 

 Aueiteum ; habits) ; Peters, MB. Akarl. JJerlin, 1867, p. 320 

 (New Hebrides) ; Grai/, Cat. Monk. J^-c. p. 107 (1870 : Aneiteum) ; 

 Matxchie, Mer/achir. p'l. vii. tigs. 3, 3tt, 3 b (skull) (1899: Now 

 Caledonia). 



Pteropus keraudreni (nee Pt. keraudreii, Q. •^- G.), Dobsun, Cat. Chir. 

 B. M. p. m (pt.) (1878 : Aneiteum) ; id., P. Z. S. 1878, p. 87o 

 (1879: New Caledonia): Troiiesgarf, liev.'^- Ma(/. Zool. (3) vi.p.20-'> 

 (pt.) (1879: AneiteuiuV; Dobson, Pep. Brit. Assoc. 1880, p. 17-'i 

 (New Caledonia); TroveAsart, Cat. Manim. i. p. 82 (1897; 

 Aneiteum; New Caledonia). 



Pteropus keraudreu (pt.), Jentink, Cat. Syst. Mamm. p. 149 (1888: 

 Aneiteum). 



Pteropus tongauus (pt., nee Q. S,- G.), Matxchie, Mec/achir. p. 10 

 (1899 : New Caledonia ; New Hebrides) ; Troiie!i.''art, ( 'at. Maimn., 

 Suppl. p. 51 (1904 : New Caledonia; New Hebrides). 



Diar/nosis. — Similar to Ft. tom/amis, hut sknlJ. teeth, and external 

 dimensions larger. Forearm 153'5 mm. IJalt. New Hebrides ; 

 New Caledonia. 



Colour. — Two skin.s, (J ad. (type). 9 ad. — Scarcely different 

 from that of Pt. toncjrmns, except perhaps in the more uniform 

 blackish colour of the bead. In both .specimens the crown and 

 sides of liead arc as blackish as chin and throat, very sharply 

 marked off from bufty occiput and mantle; rostrum and super- 

 ciliaries distinctly Mashed with mars-brown or huffy mars-brown. 

 The darkest-headed specimens of J't. foiir/anvs are, however, prac- 

 tically indistinguishable in colour from tlie type of Pt. r/eddiei. 



tSexiud differentiation. — As in Pt. toni/anns. 



Measurements. On pp. lOl', 191. 



Specimens e.vamined. Four, in the coUectious oC I he Berlin (two, 

 New Caledonia) and British Museums, including the type of the 

 species. 



Jian(/e. Aneiteum; New Caledonia. 



Type in collection. 



Habits. — On a thickly wooded bank near the sea, on tiic leeward 

 side of Aneiteum, behind a grove of bread-fruit and other trees, 

 Pt. f/eddiei was found in great numbers by John MacCillivray, in 

 1854 and ISoO, while for weeks and even months togetlier there 

 were none in the neighbourhood. At this locality their arrival 

 and departure were apparently connected with the ripening of the 

 two annual crops of bread-fruit, to which they are very destructive. 

 Jjike most other I'teropi, they are gregarious, but the sexes gene- 

 rally keep apart; MacOillivray never shot any but males at the 

 camp referred to above, nor did he ever meet with the female. 

 They have their favourite trees for roosting on during the day. 

 generally some wide-spreading fig or barivHn, sometimes an Acacia. 

 During the day time and while suspended from tlie tree, they are 

 readily roused by any unusual r.oise, such as the crackling of a stick 

 under foot, and are jiot very easily approached. Like other large 

 liats thry iiri' vrry tcn.ieious of life, and cling to the branches as 



