prnropus r.LiUAXtJs. 2.35 



44. Pteropus rubianus, A". And. 



rter.jpus grandis (pt.), Thomas, P. Z. S. 18S8, p. 470 (1889: 

 Kubiana, Solomons); Trouessart, Cat. Mamm. i. p. 80 (1897: 

 Solomons) ; MaUchie, Megachir. p. lo (1899 : Rubiana) ; 

 Trouessart, Cat. Mamm., Suppl. p. 49 (1904: l\ubiana). 



Pteropus rubianus, K. Andersen, Ann. &■ Mag. N. H. (8) ii. p. 366 

 (1 Oct. 1908: Rubiana). 



Diagnosis.- — Allied to Ft. rayneri, but much larger. Back 

 vandj-ck -brown, rump strongly contrasting j-ellowish buff, mantle 

 and foreiieck dark russet, sliading to deep tawny on sides of breast 

 and belly, and to yellowish buff on crissum ; centre of breast seal- 

 brown ; forehead and sides of face mottled yellowish buff and 

 chestnut. Forearm 1G3 mm. Hah. New Georgia group, Central 

 Solomon Is. 



ShulJ. — Scarcely differing in general shape from that of Pt. 

 rayneri, but much larger and more heavily built, -with strong 

 sagittal crest, and unusually deep zygomatic arches. Rostrum 

 rather short, deep, distiucfly compressed laterally ; front of orbit 

 vertically above front of m\ 



Teeth. — Structure of teeth essentially as in Pt. raipieri. Upper 

 canines heav}' at base, antero-posterior basal diameter 5 mm. ; 

 ciugulum strong, forming a well defined, rather broad ledge ; crown 

 in profile faintly recurved, vertical groove on front face deep and 

 broad ; vertical Iceel on lingual face sharply projecting, p' a minute 

 spicule. Posterior ledge of p^ and pg short, but distinctly marked 

 off from tooth postcro-externally. Ledge of p'' and p^ very short, 

 postero-external notch distinct though very small in p\ obsolescent 

 in p^. m^ much smaller than p^, slightly larger than m^. — i, twice 

 and a half the bulk of ij. Lower canines heavy at base : cingulum 

 forming a broad ledge ; crown recurved. Pj large, twice the size 

 of ij. m^ very small, subequal to i^. 



Palate-ridges (one, the type). — 5 + 5 + 3. Arrangement as in 

 Pt. rayneri. 



Ears. — Short, covering about half the distance from base of ear 

 to back of eye, when laid forward. Outer margin flatly concave in 

 upper third, tip of ear ralher narrowly rounded off. Basal half of 

 hinder face of conch hairy. 



Wings. — Membranes about 20 mm. apart at origin from back. 

 Interfemoral. — Short in centre ; depth about 7 mm. 

 Fur. — Hair of back rather short, adprcsscd. Approximate 

 length, back 13, mantle 19, belly 15 mm. Least width of furred 

 area of back about 47 mm. 



Above, fur extending in a narrow line of short closely adpressed 

 hairs along humerus ; region round elbow naked ; forearm naked, 

 except for some short thinly set hairs on proximal third. Femur, 

 knee, proximal three-fourths of tibia, membrane along outer side 

 of femur and proximal half of tibia, and interfemoral along 

 inner side of femur and proximal three-fourths of libia, thickly 

 furred. — Below, forearm and tibia pruclicalh- naked. Antebrachial 



