260 BATS. 



THE CuspED-TooTHED FRUIT-BAT. 

 Genus Pteralopex. 



In our brief survey of the fruit-bats we must not omit mention of a rather 

 large species recently discovered in the Solomon Islands, which is remarkable for 

 the peculiar structure of its teeth. This bat, which is of a uniform dark-brown 

 colour, has the general external characters of the fox-bats, with which it also agrees 

 in the number of its teeth, but the muzzle is much shorter and thicker. The 

 peculiarity of the teeth is that the molars have a series of cusps, almost obliterating 

 the longitudinal grooving characteristic of those of all the fruit-bats. The presence 

 of these cusps clearly shows that the cusped-toothed fruit-bat is the descendant of 

 a connecting form between the insect-eating bats and the fox-bats ; and it is upon 

 the evidence of this species that naturalists now regard all the fruit-bats as 

 derived from bats with fully cusped teeth like those of the insectivorous species. 

 The Solomon Islands form a group lying to the east of New Guinea, and extending 

 in a south-easterly direction from New Ireland ; and it is just such remote spots 

 as these which appear to be the most favourable for the survival of ancient 

 connecting types of animals like the species under consideration. 



THE LONG-TONGUED FRUIT-BATS. 



Genus Carponycteris, etc. 



All the fruit-bats hitherto noticed are characterised by the tongue being of 

 moderate dimensions, and the well-developed molar teeth. We come now, how- 

 ever, to a small group comprising seven genera (each represented by only a single 

 species), all of which are distinguished by their long and slender tongues, terminat- 

 ing in recurved papillae, and likewise by their exceedingly narrow molar teeth, which 

 scarcely project above the level of the gums. All of these bats have long and 

 sharply-pointed faces. With the exception of one West African species, the long- 

 tongued fruit-bats are confined to the Indian, Malayan, and Australian regions, extend- 

 ing from India itself to New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and they are found 

 on the continent of Australia. They are of relatively small size as compared with 

 the fox-bats. The use of the long tongues of these bats is unknown, but since 

 they can be protruded some distance in advance of the muzzle, it may be that they 

 are employed to lick out the contents of soft fruits while still hanging on the 

 trees ; this being confirmed by the small size of the molar teeth, which can be of 

 but little service for mastication. 



The small long-tongued fruit-bat (Carponycteris minima) is the smallest of 

 all the fruit-bats, being considerably inferior in size to the European noctule 

 described in the next chapter. It has a very extensive geographical distribution,, 

 ranging from Northern India and Burma to Australia and New Ireland. It is- 

 common in the warm valleys of Sikhim ; and, according to Mr. Blanf ord, generally 

 roosts in trees, although occasionally found in old buildings. It lives on fruit of 

 all kinds, of which it consumes, in proportion to its size, a large quantity. The 



