380 rxKRorus ooxspicillati;.''. 



Ty))e in collection. 



Habits. — la 1848, John MacGillivray found this species in 

 " prodigious numbers " on the wooded slope of a hill on Fitzroy 

 island, N.E. Queenalarid ; matiy of the branches were bending 

 under the load of bats, some in a slate of iuactivity suspended by 

 their hind claws, others scrambling along among the boughs and 

 taking to wing when disturbed, looking while flying like a large 

 flock of rooks ; on close approach a strong musky odour became 

 apparent, and a loud incessant chattering was heard. When 

 wounded, these large bats are handled with difficulty, as they bite 

 severely, and on such occasions their cry reminds one of the 

 squalling of a child. In S.E. ]S^ew Guinea this species has been 

 observed feeding on the fruits of fig-trees. Apart from man, its 

 chief enemy in Australia is Uroaeius andax. (J. MacGillivray, ap. 

 Gould, I. s. c. 1850 ; Ramsay, 1. s. c. 1879 : Semon, I. s. c. 1896.) 



lietnarJcs. — Ft. consjncillatus is undoubtedly an eastern repre- 

 sentative of Ft. clirysauchen. Of both species the available series 

 are small, and, so far as they go, there is in fact no difficulty in 

 referring the individuals to the one or the other form. Eut it 

 should be remembered that the difl"erences in skull (size of orbits), 

 dentition (size of teeth), and length of metacarpals and phalanges, 

 even if they prove good on examination of larger material, which 

 in all probability they will, are only trivial average differences, 

 and that the most conspicuous character of Ft. conspiciUatus, the 

 pale spectacles, is sometimes more or less distinctly indicated in 

 Ft. clirysauchen ; further, that Ft. chrysauchen extends south-east 

 to N.W. New Guinea, Ft. conspicUlatus north-west to S.E. New 

 Guinea, and that the geographical line between these forms in 

 New Guinea is as yet unknown. It appears highly probable that 

 Ft. clirysauchen and conspicUlatus merge into one another in some 

 intermediate region of New Guinea. The facts that Ft. conspicU- 

 latus in the Australian continent is confined to N. Queensland 

 and Arnhemland, that it occurs also in S.E. New Guinea and 

 adjoining islands, and that it has its closest relative in N.W. New 

 Guinea and the Gilolo group, would seem to be evidence that it is 

 a comparatively recent immigrant into the Australian continent. 



a. c^'ad. nl. ; Grange I., Table Bay, Genoa Museum [P.]. 97.8.7.1. 

 skull. Brit. New Guinea ; 



Marcli 1890 (Br. L. 

 Loria). 

 h. c. S ad-. [$] Kiriwina I., TroHriand A. S. Meek [C.]. 9S.11.5.2, 3. 



ad. sks. ; Group; 12 March, 



eknlls. 1895. 



d. (S jun. al. Woodlark I. ; March, Genoa Museum [P.]. 97.8.7.2. 



1890 {Br. L. Loria). 



e. c? ad. al. ; Alci ster Is. ; 14 Aug., Major W. Cooke 5.6..5.1. 

 skull. I!i0-t {Dr. C. G. Dauiels [P.]. 



Seligmann). 



f. Juv. skull. Nepeau I., Torres H. Cuming. f)2.5.6.3. 



Straits.. . - 



y. A ad. sk. ; Australia. Gould Coll. ."iS. 10.22.30. 



skull. , I Figured in Gould, Mamm. Austv., /.«. c.) 



i!*" ■ 



