200 



iTEROPUS liUFTJS GROUP. 



throat. Base of fur of mantle, sides of neck, and head seal-brown ; 

 fur of foreneck scarcely darker at base. 



Measurements of teeth on p. 199. Measurements of skull and 

 external dimensions omitted, owing to immaturity of specimen ; 

 the actual length of the forearm of the type is ]35"o mm. (in the 

 adult Pt. caniceps 135-139-5); as the fronto-parietal sutures of 

 the type skull are unobliterated, the fully adult Pt. argentatus is 

 probably slightly larger than Pt. canicejis. 



Specimen examined. One, the type. 



Ranfje. Type presumed by Gray to have been obtained in 

 Amboina (Voyage of the ' Sulph\ir '). In his Catalogue of 1870 

 (p. 106) Gray gives as habitat of the species " Amboyna? Island 

 of Gobie ; New Guinea." The British Museum does not possess 

 any specimen of Pteropus from Gobie. 



Type in collection. 



liemarks. — A full description of this species cannot be given, the 

 only specimen known being not full-grown and in a not quite 

 satisfactory state of preservation. It is certain, however, that 

 Dobson was mistaken in putting it down as a young Pt. cliryso- 

 proctus. Judging from the characters of the teeth, the shape and 

 size of the ears, the quality and distribution of the fur, and the 

 general style of the colour, Pt. argentatus appears to be related to 

 Pt. caniceps. 



n. J imm. al. ; "? Amboina " (Voy. of Sir E. Belcher 42.11.22.26. 

 bkiiU. the 'Sulphur'). [P.]. 



{Type of species.) 



D. The Pteiwpcs rufls geoup. 



Species. — Five species (six forms j: Pt.rufus{rufus &ud princeps), 

 conwrensis, sei/chellensis, aldabrensis, and niger. 



Range. — The Malagasy region. This is the only group of the 

 geuus distributed over the whole of the Malagasy region ; three 

 other groups are represented by single species of very restricted 

 range, viz., the melanopogon in Johanna Island, Comoros (Pt. living- 

 sionei), the hypomelaniis in the Mascarenes (Pt. suhniger), and the 

 lomhocensis group in Rodriguez (P<. rodricensis). 



General cliaracters (compare tig. 1:2, ]). 217, skull and dentition 

 of Pt. niger). — Skull typical Pteropine. Dentition without 

 special modifications ; cingulum of canines rather broad ; posterior 

 ledges of premolars well developed but not particularly strong, 

 ij and Pj not enlarged, m^ and m' not more reduced than usual. 

 Ears long (much reduced in the single Mascarene species), at- 

 tenuated at tip, subacutely pointed ; interfemoral distinct in centre, 

 neither very deep (as ia Pt. vampijrus) nor quite obliterated. Colour 

 in all except the Mascarene species characterized by the light 

 mantle, crown, and underparts contrasting with dark back and 

 muzzle. Males without glandular neck-tufts. Size generally rather 

 large, sometimes below medium (forearm 124-171 mm.). 



Subdivisions of group. — The five species fall into two, rather 



