CHEIROPTERA. 



CHEIROPTERA. 



974 





with three phalanges. Head long and hairy. Females for the most 

 part with nursing pouches. 



Pteropua, Brisson (Rouasettes of the French). A small nail on the 

 index wing-finger. Head conical. Ears short. Tail absent, or rudi- 

 mentary. Interfemoral membrane very little developed. 



a. Tailless. 



P. Javanicus. Upper part of the neck smoky red, rest of the fur 

 blackish, some white hairs mingled with the black ones of the back. 

 Expansion 5 feet. This is the Kalong of the Javanese, which, 

 according to Dr. Horsfield, is extremely abundant in the lower parts 

 of Java, and uniformly lives in society. The more elevated districts 

 are not visited by it. " Numerous individuals," continues the Doctor, 

 " select a large tree for their resort, and suspending themselves with 

 the claws of their posterior extremities to the naked branches, often 

 in companies of several hundreds, afford to a stranger a very singular 

 spectacle. A species of Ficui, in habit resembling the P. rdiyio&a of 

 India, which is often found near the villagea of the natives, affords 

 them a very favourite retreat, and the extended branches of one of 

 these are sometimes covered by them. They pass the greater portion 

 of the day in sleep, hanging motionless : ranged in succession, with 

 the head downwards, the membrane contracted about the body, and 

 often in close contact, they have little resemblance to living beings, 

 and by a person not accustomed to their economy are readily mistaken 

 for a part of the tree, or for a fruit of uncommon size suspended from 

 its branches. In general these societies preserve a perfect silence 

 during the day : but if they are disturbed, or if a contention arises 

 among them, they emit sharp piercing shrieks, and their awkward 

 attempts to extricate themselves when oppressed by the light of the 

 sun, exhibit a ludicrous spectacle. In consequence of the sharpness 

 of their claws, their attachment is so strong, that they cannot readily 

 leave their hold without the assistance of the expanded membrane : 

 and if suddenly killed in the natural attitude during the day, they 

 continue suspended after death. It is necessary therefore to oblige 

 them to take wing by alarming them, if it be desired to obtain them 

 during the day. Soon after sunset they gradually quit their hold, and 

 pursue their nocturnal flight in quest of food. They direct their 

 course by an unerring instinct to the forests, villages,-and plantations, 

 occasioning incalculable mischief, attacking and devouring indiscrimi- 

 nately every kind of fruit, from the abundant and useful cocoa-nut 

 which surrounds the dwelling of the meanest peasantry, to the rare 

 and most delicate productions which are cultivated with care by 

 princes and chiefs of distinction. By the latter, as well as by the 

 European colonists, various methods are employed to protect the 

 orchards and gardens. Delicate fruits, such as mangoes, jambus, 

 lansas, &c., as they approach to maturity, are ingeniously secured by 

 means of a loose net or basket, skilfully constructed of split bamboo. 

 Without this precaution, little valuable fruit would escape the ravages 

 of the Kalong. There are few situations in the lower parts of Java in 

 which this night wanderer is not constantly observed : as soon as the 

 light of the sun has retired one animal is seen to follow the other at a 

 small but irregular distance, and this succession continues uninter- 

 rupted till darkness obstructs the view. The flight of the Kalong is 

 elow and steady, pursued in a straight line, and capable of long con- 

 tinuance. .The chase of the Kalong forms occasionally an amusement 

 of the colonists and inhabitants during the moonlight nights, which 

 in the latitude of Java are uncommonly serene. He is watched in his 

 descent to the fniit-trees, and a discharge of small shot readily brings 

 him to the ground. By this means I frequently obtained four or five 

 individuals in the course of an hour." 



Pttropu* Javanicia. 



0. With Tails. 



P. ttramimut. Fur reddish-yellow; tail very short. Expansion 

 two feet. Brought from Timor by Peron and Lesueur. 



y. With Wings on the Back. 

 Cephalotet, Gooff. A small nail on the index in one species. Head 



conical; ears short; tail but little apparent. Interfemoral membrane 

 notched. Flank-membrane springing from the mesial line of the back. 



Incisors, - ; canines, ; molars, -^^ =32. 



6 1 1 44 



C. Peronii. Fur brown or red, and very short. No nail on the 

 index. Wings springing from the middle of the back. Expansion 

 two feet. Locality, Timor. N.B. Temminck thinks that the P. pal- 

 liat'us of Geoffroy is the young of this species. 



Harpya, Illiger. Differing from Cephalutcs in the want of lower 

 incisors and of the last small molars in both jaws. Geoffroy thinks 

 that the difference between the system of dentition in Harpya and 

 Cephalotet Peronii is attributable to age only. 



Incisors, - ; canines, ; molars, =24. 



11 55 



H. Pallasii (Cephalotes Pallasii, Geoff.). Fur consisting of scanty 

 and soft hairs, grayish-ash above, pale white below. A nail on the 

 index. Expansion 1 foot 11 inches. Locality, the Moluccas. 



Head of Harpya Fallasii. 



Cynopterus, F. Cuvier. Four incisors and two rudimentary false 

 molars in each jaw, like the Pteropi, but they entirely want the last 

 molars. The jaws are abbreviated, and the heads much resemble 

 those of Cephalotcs. 



Macroglossa, F. Cuvier. A genus approaching very closely to 

 Pteropm and formed by F. Cuvier for the Lowo-assu of the 

 Javanese, P. minimus of Geoffroy, P. rostratus of Horsfield. Its 

 character depends upon the extreme length of the head, the absence 

 of false molars, the great development of the posterior molar and the 

 extensile tongue. 



canines, 





molars, - =34. 

 66 



Incisors,-; , 



4 11 



M. Horefiddii (Pteropus restrains, Horsfield). Temminck is of opinion 

 that M. Kiodotes, P. minimus, Geoff., and M. Ilorsfieldii are identical. 



8. Wings placed extremely backwards. 



Epomophorus (Gray,). E. Whitii (Ptei'opus Epomophorus, Bennett). 

 Pale brown, the colour being paler posteriorly ; belly white ; humeral 

 brush (or epaulette) white and large. Total length, six inches three 

 quarters ; length of the head, two inches and a quarter. Expansion 

 12 inches. 



The following is the arrangement of the species of this order of 

 which there are specimens in the British Museum, as given in tho 

 list of the Mammalia by Dr. J. E. Gray . 



VESPERTILIONIDjE. 



A. Istiophori. 



a. Phyllostomina. 



1. Rhinopoma, HardwicTcii, the Indian Rhinopome. 



2. R. microphyUa, the Egyptian Rhinopome. Egypt. 



3. Sturnira Spectrum, the Sturnira. Brazils. 



4. Arctibeus Jamaicensis, the Jamaica Arctibeus. Jamaica and 

 Brazils. 



5. A. fimbriatus, the Fringe-Lipped Arctibeus. Brazils. 



6. A. verrucatta, the Warty-Ghinned Arctibeus. South America. 



7. A. falcatus, Sickle-Arctibeus. Cuba. 



8. Vampyrus Spectrum, the Pale Vampire. Jamaica. 



9. Phyllostoma haetatum, the Javeline Phyllostome. Brazils. 



10. P.fuiiyinosum, the Sooty Phyllostome. South America. 



11. P. Ckildreni, Children's Phyllostome. South America. 



12. P. soricinum, the Soricine Phyllostome. Jamaica, West Indies. 



13. P. Bennettii, Bennett's Phyllostome. South America. 



14. P. lanceolatum, Long-Leaved Phyllostome. South America. 



15. P. elongatum, Elongated Phyllostome. Brazils. 



16. Brachyphylla Cavernarum, the Cavern-Bat. St. Vincent's, 

 West Indies ; Cuba. 



17. Phyllophora, megalotis, Large-Eared Phyllophore. 



18. P. nigra, Black Phyllophore. Brazils. 



19. P. amplexicaudata, West-Indian Phyllophore. West Indies, 

 Jamaica. 



20. Glossopftaga Soricina, the Soricine Bloodsucker. Jamaica, 

 West Indies. 



21. Monophyllua Redmani, Redman's Leaf- Nosed Bat. Jamaica. 



22. Anoura Geo/royi, Geoffrey's Tailless Bat. Brazils. 



23. Megaderma Lyra, Lyre-Nosed Broad-Winged Bat. Java; India, 

 Madras and Bengal. 



24. M. Spasma, the Cordate Bat. Java and Singapore. 



25. Laviu, from, the African Leaf-Bat. West Africa, Gambia. 



b. Rldnolophina. 



26. Aritcut Jlavesccns, the Yellowish Ariteus. 



Brazils. 



