52 Afriean Zooloijij. 



Fam. VESPERTILIONID^. 



Fincrcrs of the hands excessively elongated and supporting' 

 Tery fine memhrancs, therehy enabling the animal to keep up a 

 continued and rapid flight ; the thumb separate hut not op- 

 posable. 



Genus Pteropus. Brisson. 



Incisors*, canines]], molars ^h — 34. Incisors conical ; mo- 

 lars ivilh the crown truncated ohlicptely, and marked with a 

 longitudinal /"arrow ; head long and subcorneal ; ears simple, 

 without auricles ; no crest or nasal appendage ; tail short or 

 none; interfemoral membrane sloped off. — An additional pha- 

 lanx and nail on the index Jinger of each wing ; tongue papillous. 



* WitJwnt a tail. 



Pteropus Edwardii. (Edward's Rousette.) Upper parts of 

 head, upper and lateral parts of neck, and anterior part of 

 back bright reddish yellow, here and theie tinted with fer- 

 ruginous ; rest of back brownish black, each hair being blackish 

 towards its base and brownish towards the lip. Face, sides of 

 head, and part of throat, inclined to black ; breast reddish 

 yellow or maronne colour ; the bases of the hairs black ; belly 

 dull reddish yellow, with the bases of the hairs nearly black ; 

 ears and wing membranes black. Length from nose to ex- 

 tremity of back twelve inches, expanse of wings forty-five 

 inches. 



Inhabits Madagascar. 



A^'espertilio vamprus. Lin. Great Bat of Madagascar. Ed- 

 ward's Nat. Hist, of Birds, Jig. 180. 



Pteropus vulgaris. GeofFroy. (Common Rousette.) Head 

 and vent pale ferruginous or reddish yellow ; neck, anterior 

 part of back, breast, and belly deep reddish brown ; centre of 

 back the same colour, only paler ; sides of back dull tawny or 

 pale reddish yellow ; ears and muzzle black ; wing membranes 

 brownish. Incisors of upper jaw placed at equal distances from 

 each other. Length from nose to hinder part of back twelve 

 inches, expanse of wings forty inches. 



Inhabits Jlauritius and Bourbon. 



Vespertilio Ingens, Clus. Exotic Tab. p. 94. Vespertilio 

 Vamprus, Lin. Chein volant, Daub. Rousette, Brisson, Reg. 

 Ani7n. 216. BufiF. 



Pteropus rubricolUs. Geoff. (Red-necked Rousette.) Neck 

 orange or red coloured ; all the other parts of the body greyish 

 brown or greyish black ; thighs reddish white ; ears short and 

 concealed in the fur. Incisors of the upper jaw approximate, 

 the middle ones contiguous ; those of the lower in pairs. 



