18 PTEROPODID.f;. 



orifice is very small, whilst the oesophageal is dilated widely. The intes- 

 tinal canal is long, being about seven times the length of the body. The 

 females of some are provided with nursing pouches. It is possible that 

 the fabulous Harpy of the ancients was one of these large bats. 



Gen. Pteropus, Geoffrey. 



Char. — Incisors, - ; canines, ; molars, . Index-finger 



' 4 ' ' 1—1 ' ' 6—6 "" 



unguiculate. Snout lengthened. No tail in some j a short one in others. 

 The tongue is covered with large papillte, pointing backwards, each ter- 

 minating in a brush. 



12. Pteropus Edwardsi. 



Geoffroy. — p. medms, Temminck. — P. leucoceijhalus, Hodgson. — P. 

 assameusis, McLelland. — Elliot, Cat. 3. — Blyth, Cat. 51. — Gadal, or 

 Barhaycd, H. in the South. — Bddun and Pata dehli, H. in the Noi-th. — 

 Badul, Beng. — Warbagul, Mahar. — Toggul hcaoali, Can. — Sikat-yelU, of 

 Wuddurs. — Sikurayi, Tel. — Flying-fox of Europeans in India. 



The Large Fox-bat. 



Descr. — Head and nape rufous-black ; neck and shoulders golden- 

 yellow ; back, dark-brown ; chin, dark ; rest of body beneath, fulvous 

 or rusty brown ; interfemoral membrane, brownish-black. 



Length, 12 to 14^- inches; extent of wings, 46 to 52 inches. 



This lai'ge bat, the flying fox of Europeans, is found throughout all 

 India, Ceylon, and Buimah. Specimens vary considerably in shade and 

 colouration. 



During the day they roost on trees, generally in large colonies, many 

 hundreds often occupying a single tree, to which they invariably resort if 

 not driven away. Towards sunset they begin to get restless, move about 

 along the branches, and by ones and twos fly oft' for their nightly rounds. 

 If water is at hand, a tank, or a river, or the sea, they fly cautiously down 

 and touch the water, but I could not ascertain if they took a sip, or merely 

 dipped part of their bodies in.* They fly vast distances occasionally to 

 such trees as happen to be in fruit. They are fond of most garden fruit 



* A recent writer, on observing this, has jumped to the conclusion that they do 

 this for the purpose of fishing, and a note on the fishing propensities of the Fteropus 

 ia to be found in a late number of the Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



