116 ORDER III. 



classical poets of antiquity with their marvellous 

 tales of harpies. 



In A, the first section of Gohlins or Rousettes* is 

 tailless, embracing the 



Genus PTEROPUS, or Ghole. With a prolonged, 

 straight, conical head ; slender muzzle ; vertical 

 incisors ; slight interfemoral memhrane ; fore-finger 

 generally with a claw; wing membranes attached 

 more towards the back. Dent. form. in. J, can. 4, 

 p. mol. |, mol. T 8 o or i g, i f or f , = 34 or 36. They 

 devour a great quantity of fruit, and yet are eager 

 after birds and small quadrupeds. Among these the 



P. edulis The Kalong, or Edible Ghole 



Dark brown, with the neck and upper part of the 

 head bright rust colour, and a transverse reddish 

 band, and another black between the shoulders, is 

 the largest known species : some extend their wings 

 to above five feet English measure. They are often 

 by seamen called Flying Dogs ; abound in the Sunda 

 Islands, Java, the Moluccas, &c., where they hang 

 in the day time suspended in the largest trees, and 

 fly out at dusk, destroying the fruit trees that are 

 not protected with nets, devouring birds, quadru- 

 peds, and probably reptiles ; the females with one 

 or two proportionably bulky young hanging at their 

 breasts, making strong goose-like cries, and though 



* A name which we think applies better to the family than 

 the single species, where Illiger has bestowed it ; it is that 

 which in English might be rendered by Ghole or Goblin, both 

 understood, and more expressive than the French word Rous- 

 sette. We have too many Gallicisms already in the language. 



