256 £ATS. 



species (P. nicobaricas) of ueaiiy the same dimensions, but readily distinguished 

 by its rounded ears. 



The largest of all fox-bats, and consequently of all bats, is, however, the 1 along 

 or Malay fox-bat (P. edidis), repi-esented in the figure on p. 254, which measures 

 upwards of 5 feet from tip to tip of the wings, and derives its name from its flesh 

 being eaten by the Malays, as, indeed, is that of its Indian cousin by some of the 

 natives of that countiy. Writing of the Malay species, Mr. Wallace states that 

 they are considered a great delicacy by the natives, and are much sought after. 

 " At about the beginning of the year they come [to Batchian] in large flocks to 

 eat fruit, and congregate during the day on some islands in the bay, hanging by 

 thousands on the trees, especially on the dead ones. They can then be easily 

 caught or knocked down with sticks, and are brought home in basketfuls. They 

 require to be carefully prepared, as the skin and fur have a rank and powerful 

 foxy odour; but they are generally cooked with abundance of spices and condi- 

 ments, and are really very good eating, — something like hare." 



Of the Australian fruit-bat (P. poliocephalus) the late Professor Moseley 

 describes a roosting place which he visited in New South Wales in the following 

 words : — " In a dense piece of bush, consi-sting principally of young trees, the trees 

 were hung all over with these bats, looking like great black fruits. As we 

 approached, the bats showed signs of uneasiness, and after the first shot were 

 rather difiicult to approach, moving from before us, and pitching in a fresh tree 

 some distance ahead. The bats uttered a curious cackling sound when disturbed. 

 They were in enormous numbers, and although thousands had been shot not long 

 before by a large pai'ty got together for the purpose, their numbers were not per- 

 ceptibly reduced. They do gi-eat harm to the fruit orchards about Pan-amatta, and 

 the fruit-gi'owers there organise parties to shoot them." 



The same observer also records that certain species of fruit-bats, which he met 

 with in the Friendly Islands and in New South Wales, are in the habit of devouring 

 flowers as well as fruits. The particular .species observed in the Friendly Islands 

 was doubtless the Polynesian fruit-bat (P. kerandrenii), which is found in most of 

 the islands in that region. " These bats," writes Professor Moseley, " appear on the 

 wing in the early afternoon in full sunlight, and at the time of our visit were 

 feeding on the bright red flowei's of one of the indigenous trees. Flowers form an 

 important proportion of the food of fruit-bats. In New South Wales, in Botany 

 Bay in May, numbers of fruit-bats were to be seen feeding on the flowers of the 

 gum trees. The bats most probably often act as fertilisers by carrying pollen 

 from tree to tree adherent to their fur. As dark comes on the fruit-bats become 

 more plentiful. It is probably only those specially driven by hunger that come 

 out before dark." These observations show that two of these bats are, at certain 

 seasons, in the habit of supplementing the ordinary fi-uit-diet by one of flowers ; 

 but it does not appear that a similar habit has been recorded in the ca.je of the 

 Indian or Malayan species. It has, however, been observed that the Indian fruit- 

 bat will greedily drink palm-juice from the pots hung on the trees for the purpose 

 of collecting it ; and individuals have been found lying at the foot of the trees in 

 a helples.sly intoxicated condition. 



