L30 



V E R T E B R A T A 



MACKOGLOSSUS. 



distinguished themselves by ravenous appetites. A head of this extraordinary species is figured 

 at p. 124. See also p. L27. 



The Common Roussette, P. vulgaris, half the size of the preceding, is of the Isle of France 

 and of Bourbon. They live chiefly on fruits, yet occasionally devour small quadrupeds and birds. 

 They often fly by day, though the night is the usual period of their activity. They choose 

 their abodes in the gloom of the thick forests, and only in the still watches of the night approach 

 the habitations of man, "when they devour large quantities of fruits in the gardens and plantations. 



Besides these s] ies, we may mention the following : The P.funereus, found in the same islands 



he kaiong; the P. plvtiops, of Macassar; P. chrysoproctus, of Amboyna ; P. Mackloti, of 

 Timor; P. alecto, of Celebes; P.pallidus, of Sumatra and some of the adjacent islands; P. per- 

 itus, of the Moluccas; P. griseus, of Timor and Amboyna; P. jubatus or P. Keraudrenii, of 

 the Philippines : /'. Tonganus, of the Friendly Isles; P.ursinus and P. dasymallus, both of Japan ; 

 P. Vanikoriensis, of New Eebrides ; P. polyocephalus, of Van Diemen's Land ; P. ccmspicillatus, of 

 Australia : P. Dussumieri and P. Edwardsii, of India ; and P. Stramineus, of Sennaar and Senegal. 

 (•'■ i- us M \( 5ROGLOSSUS : Macroglossus. — Of this there is only a sing'e species, the Kiodote, 

 01 P. minimus, of .lava and the adjacent islands. It is but three inches long, and is remarkable 

 the length of its protrusile tongue, which may be extended to two inches. It is called 

 /. m by the natives, and as it exists in large flocks, is much dreaded on account of its devas- 



tations among the fruits of the gardens and plantations. 



nus EPOMOPHORUS : Epomophorus. — Of this there arc two species, P. Whitei and /'. 

 labia 



ELE1 'THKltriiA : Eleutherura. — Of this the most noted species is the P. Egyptian/*, 

 which has an i xpanse of wing of eighteen inches. It is doubtless the species figured on the 

 monuments, and copied in the great work of Roseffini. It abounds in the ruins and is found even 

 in the chambers of the pyramids of Egypt. The P. Hottentotuz is another species of this genus, 

 found in Southern Africa. 



'""-' < YV 'PTERUS: Cynoptcrus. — Of this there is only the P. marginatus of Java and 



other Asiatic islands The four preceding genera are still included in Pteropus by many naturalists. 



MEGER \. Megera, offers only the species M. ecaudaia. 



Genus BYP< >DERMA, Rypoderma, includes but the species S.Peronii, of Timor and Amboyna. 



Geit'i^ 1 1 A l; l'Y A. Harpyii, includes only tie. spe.ies//. ceplvalotes, found in Celebes and Amboyna, 



