Fruit-rinta of the Genua \)o\)%o\\\:\. 531 



luul Dobson, to Miitschic, invariably have failed to recoj;- 

 iiizo more than one sinj^lt* species. Tlic reason is that none 

 of these anthors have studied the detailed structure of the 

 ])rciu()lars and molars (tf the 8|»cciinens at their disposal, hut 

 all coiiHncd themsi'lves to an examination oi tiieir external 

 features and the more conspicuous (generic) characters of 

 tlie skull ami dentition. Aiul externally all species of 

 Jhhsonia are in fact essentially alike, in the shape and 

 relative size of the ears, the winj^-structure and insertion oF 

 the membranes, and the distribution, quality, len<;th, and 

 colour of the fur, in short, in all external characters cx(;ept 

 one, the size. That the ditferenccs in size, though often 

 very conspicuous, sometimes even enormous, were considered 

 indicative only of an unusually fjrcat imlividual variation is 

 readily understood when it is remembered that very often a 

 larirer and a smaller species occur together in the same 

 place. Finding the same small island represented in col- 

 lections by individuals similar to each other in all external 

 characters but size, tliose authors naturally hesitated to con- 

 sider the sizc-ditrerence by itself a character of specitic 

 importance. The truth is, however, that whenever an 

 island is inhabited by two species of Uohsonia, they differ 

 not only in size but also, and chieHy, in dentition. 



IT. Brief Diagnoses of new Species. 

 Dobsonia exoleta^ sp. n. 



Similar in dentition to D. pannietensis, but larger : skull, 

 total length a'J mm. (47— i8 in />«//«»>/ c'//.<f/,y), maxillary tooth- 

 row, c-m' (crowns) 20o-2r3 mm. (19*8); forearm 1125- 

 1 Ifi mm. 009-1 12) ; median surface ridge distinct in m\ 

 nij, and nu (in pannietensis distinct in m' and nio, absent or 

 obsolescent in m,). Hub. Celebes, generally distributed. 



Tvpe : — $ ad., skin and skull ; Tomohon, Minaha<*sa, 

 10 Oct., 189t. Collected by Drs. P. and V. Sarasiu. 13. M. 

 99.10.1.1. 



Specimens examined, seven, from the following localities: — 

 Miuahassa (one), Menado (two), Gorontalo (<me), Macassar 

 (one), "Celebes'' (two). 



Dobsonia sumbnna, sp. n. 



Closely allied to D. peroni, but noticeably smaller: skull, 

 total length KJ-f) (•18-8-ol-7 in peroni), maxillary tooth-row 

 18-8 mm. (20-22), forearm Uh'> mm. ( 108-3-117). Hub. The 

 island of Sumba, Timor group. 



