386 PTERO ARIEL. 



Colour. — Scarcely dift'ering from that of Ft. (jiciantms (p. 327). 

 Breast, belly, and flanks in sinj^'le specimen examined as dark as in 

 darkest individuals of continental species. 



Size. — Apparently slightly smaller thMU Pt. (ji<ianteus : forearm 

 160 mm., against lG3'5-17u-5 in sixteen adult specimens of 

 Ft. (figanteus. For details see measurements, p. 337. 



Sexual differentiation. — lilale with glandular neck-tufts as 

 Pt. giyauteus. Peraales not seen. 



Measurements. On pp. 337, 33fi. 



Specimen eicumined. One, as registered below. 



Mange. Maldive Archipelago. According to Gardiner ubiquitous 

 in the Maldives, but not found in Minikoi, 



Tgpe in the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, ilassa- 

 chusetta (lieg. no. 105(5.5). 



Habits. — In the Maldives, " wherever a banyan tree grows, 

 numbers of these bats may be found clinging to its branches. They 

 rarely rest on other trees, preferring to undertake nightly migra- 

 tions for food. At Limbo-Kandu (centre of the N. Mahlos Atoll) 

 they commenced to disperse about 6 p.m., going to every- island of 

 its atoll. Coming singly out of the trees, each set off by itself on a 

 straight course, continued as far as the eye could see. They could 

 be heard returning in the darkness of the late hours of the night, 

 only a few belated travellers being seen at dawn. The single 

 journey must have been in some cases 15 to 20 miles, and even this 

 was exceeded in parts of Miladumadulu. The same phenomenon 

 was observed I'egularly at Hulule [ilale AtoUi, the dispersal taking 

 place night after night during the half-hour before sunset, however 

 clouded the weather might be. Their food consists principally of 

 the fruits of the Zizyphus, Terminalia, Calophyllum. and banyan, 

 but bread-fruit and Fandanus are also largely consumed ; in times 

 of stress the buds and centres of the last two are eaten. Many 

 were seen with young in April, this being according to the Tiatives 

 a regular season for births." (J. Stanley (iardincr, I. s. c.) 



Original description. — Based on two specimens, skin and skull oF 

 an adult male, collected at Male Atoll, Maldives, by H. B. Bif>elow 

 (A. Agassi/. Expedition), Dec. 24, 1901, type of species, and an 

 immature female, same locality, paratype. The external measure- 

 ments of the tyjie, as given by G. M. Allen, agree very closely with 

 those of the British Museum specimen : forearm of type UiO mm. 

 (160 mm. in B. M. specimen), third metacarpal 105(103), first and 

 second phalanges of fourth digit res])ectively 6-4- (63) and 66 (68), 

 corresponding phalanges of fifth digit -io (47"o) and 52 (54). The 

 type skull is (ksci'ibed as •' slightly narrower with narrower brain- 

 case and more slender zyg'omata as comi)ared with Indian specimens 

 of F. giganteus from the KooUoo Valley "; greatest length " 66" mm. 

 (in the figure, stated to be natural size, it measures 70 mm.), zygo- 

 matic width " 36-7 ■" mm. (as in figure) ; the Biitish Museum skull 

 (somewhat aged, teeth worn) is as large (total length 71-5 mm.) as 

 small skulls of Ft. giganteus (minimum 70 8 mm.), but, in strong 

 contrast to the type, it has the zygomatic arches excessively tlaring 



