THE FLYING LEMUR 23 



earth and air were alive with crawling ramphorynchi 

 and gliding pterodactyls.-^ 



The coloration of the flying lemur is admirably 

 adapted to harmonise with the bark of the tree to 

 which it clings. The ground tint is of two types, 

 grey and olive brown ; it will probably be found that 

 the lighter-coloured individuals frequent drier 

 situations than their fellows. Various irregular 

 spots and dashes of white are scattered over the 

 beautiful soft fur, especially on the outsides of the 

 limbs and on the lateral parachute. These not only 

 smarten up the animal's appearance but also simu- 

 late spots of mould or mildew. The general hue of 

 the cobego's coat quite suggests a piece of bark more 

 or less spotted with fungi or flecked with lichen ; my 

 own specimen has a handsome triangular patch of 

 white on the forehead with the apex of the triangle 

 towards the nose. The under parts are pinkish. 

 The spots on the fur tend to disappear with age. 

 Museum specimens have the ears and palms black- 

 brown, but in living cobego they are said to be pink. 

 Mr. Waterhouse in 1839 separated the Galeopitliecus 

 philippinensis from its better known congener by 

 reason of its narrower head, longer ears, and broader 

 muzzle ; but although two species of flying lemur 

 have been recognised for the purposes of this book 



1 Ramphorynchi and pterodactyls were Oolite lizards capable of 

 spurious nif,dit like the little tree-tlragons found to-day in Java. A young 

 cobego with its curious liead, naked skin, and parachute vividly recalls the 

 pterodactyl as restored by geologists. The late Edward Newman even 

 suggested that pterodactyls were of mammalian not reptilian nature ! 



