400 



I'TEKOPUS rOLIOCEPnALUS. 



forest, looking like great black fruits, were (about the middle of 

 the 19th century) beyond conception, and no native animal was 

 more troublesome to the settlers than this large bat, which, 

 resorting to the fruit grounds by night, sometimes committed the 

 most fearful havoc. The growers organized parties to shoot them, 

 but the bats have the cunning (Moseley says) to choose a set of 

 trees where the undergrowth is exceedingly dense, and where it is 

 therefore difficult to get at them. Their favourite food seems, 

 however, to be the small wild fig ; a specimen now in the British 

 Museum was shot while feeding on the blossom of Eucalyptus. 

 When undisturbed they utter a curious cackling cry. 



Pleropus poliocephahig, Temminck ; 1825. — In 1825 (l. s. c), 

 when first describing this species, Temminck had examined four 

 specimens, all from " la IN'^ouvelle HoUande," viz., a mounted 

 example in the Leyden Museum, a second individual " entierement 

 ronge par les dermestes " in the same Museum, and a third and 

 fourth respectively in the Paris Museum and in London. None of 



External measurements of Pteropus epularius, macrotis, and 

 poliocephalus. 



Pi. epularius. 

 2 ad. 



Forearm 



Pollex, total length, e. u 



„ metacarpal 



,, 1st phalanx ' 27'5 



2nd digit, metacarpal ' 61 



MiN. Max. 



mm. 

 13(5 



58 

 12-5 



1st phalanx 16 



„ 2nd-3rd phalanx, e. u. . 15*5 



3rd digit, metacarpal 87 



„ 1st phalanx 66'5 



,, 2ud phalanx 89"5 



4th digit, metacarpal 86'5 



„ 1st phalanx 53'5 



„ 2nd phalanx ' .^3 



5th digit, metacarpal I 91'5 



,, 1st phalanx ' 43 



„ 2nd phalanx 41 



Ears, length from orifice 335 



„ greatest width, flattened ... 19 



Front of eye to tip of muzzle 22 



Interfenioral 



liOwer leg ... 



Foot, c. u. 







58 

 43 



Calcar l 14 



mm. 

 141 



59 



13-5 



28 



61 



17 



16 



88-5 



68 



91-5 



87 



54 



54 



93 



46 



41-5 



35-5 



19 



22 

 



62 



45 



17 



Ft. 



macrotis. 

 Type. 

 $ ad. 



mm. 

 121 



57-5 



17 



13 



82 



60-5 



79o 



48 



47 



82-5 



41 



38 



?5G 



Pf. polloeepkalus 

 3 ad. 



MiN. Max. 



mm. 

 161 



"i'3-7 



34-7 



79 



195 



16 

 106 



79 

 106 

 104-5 



66 



66 5 

 110 



47 



47 

 ?33* 

 ?17* 



72 



mm. 



162 



69 



82-5 



23 



18-8 

 112-5 



84 

 111 

 111 



66-5 



67-5 

 116 



49-6 



49 



72-5 

 56 



* Estimate, from dried skin. 



