396 



SYSTEMATIC ZOOLOGY 



popularly as flying foxes, live in the tropical forests of 

 Africa, the East Indies, and Australia ; the expanded wings of 

 the largest species measure a meter and a half from tip to tip. 

 The snout is elongated like that of a fox, and never has learlike 



FIG. 385. Xantharpyia collaris, an African bat; female and young. (From Shipley and 



MacBride's Zoology.) 



appendages such as are found in some others. Many species 

 are eaten by man. Some members of this group are known to 

 devour much more food than they can assimilate, eating appar- 

 ently for the mere pleasure of doing so. 



