XVI. NOTES ON THE HYPOMELANUS FRUIT- 

 BATS OF THE STRAITS OF iMALACCA, WITH THE 

 DESCRIPTION OF A NEW RACE PTEROPUS 

 HYPOMELANUS FRETENSIS. 



By C. BoDEN Kloss, F.Z.S. 



During the course of a cruise in the Straits of Malacca in 

 April, 1915, the small islands of Paya and Jarak were visited 

 and from each examples of the hypomelmius species of Flying- 

 fox were obtained. This species has been represented hitherto 

 along the west side of the Malay Peninsula by P. h. geuiinorum 

 from the Mergui Archipelago and by P. h. robinsoni from the 

 Sembilan Islands, about 10 miles from land, off the mouth of 

 the Perak River. 



P. h. geminoriim, Miller, has until now been known only 

 from the type locality, South Twin Island, in the Mergui 

 Archipelago, so that its occurrence on Pulau Paya, about 350 

 miles to the south, considerably extends its range which, when 

 more of the small intermediate islands have been examined, 

 will doubtless be found continuous between the two. 



Pulau Paya is roughly 7 miles west of the mouth of Kedah 

 River and about the same distance south-east of the Langkawi 

 group. It is a wooded island about a mile in length and half 

 in breadth standing just within the 15 fathom line of sound- 

 ings. Three examples of P. h. geuiinorum, which has now to 

 be added to the faunal list of the Malay Peninsula, were 

 obtained upon it, a male and two females, having the following 

 external appearance : — 



Backs : blackish-brown freely sprinkled with silvery hairs, 

 producing a markedly grizzled effect. 



Heads : like backs, the palest-backed specimen (female) 

 having the greyest head ; that of the male tinged with brown. 



, Mantles: male; hazel,, narrowly edged posteriorly with 

 bay; females, i, bay, and 2, blackish-bay. 



Underparts; throats blackish (except in the pale-backed 

 female where it is grey like the head), chests seal-brown, rest 

 of the lower surface strongly grizzled aniline black. 



(For measurements see table p. 248.) 



P. h. robinsoni, K. And., was described from three speci- 

 mens collected on Pulau Rumpia : as we have now obtained 

 others from that island, and also two more examples from 

 Pulau Lallang, another of the Sembilan group, it is possible to 

 give further particulars about this race. 



Males, 4 examples : — 



Backs: all specimens; brownish-black, sprinkled with 

 silvery whitish hairs. 



