354- Mr. K. Andersen on 



carimis we need not g-o so far as Australia and Polynesia, 

 but only the niucli shorter way from Mauritius to Rodri- 

 guez ; it is with Ft, rodrkensis, and this species only, that 

 ]\lr. Mason ought to have compared the " Round Island ^' skull 

 before he regarded it as representing a new species. 



Mr. Mason calls Pt, mascarinus an extinct species. On 

 .what evidence? As already mentioned, the skull was found, 

 superficially in a fissure, together with bones of introduced 

 animals; the "state of preservation and general condition of 

 the remains'' show, Mr. Mason aduiits, that they are of 

 quite recent origin. What, then, are the proofs that the skull 

 is of an extinct species, rather than of an individual that died 

 last year ? Is tlie bat fauna of '^ Round Island " so well 

 known that we can be sure that Pt. mascarinus does not exist 

 there at this moment? In ]\Ir. Mason's own words, only a 

 " cursory " survey of the island was made by the party, 

 " interested in the guano trade," who visited the island ia 

 1906, and a member of which obtained the skull. Supposing, 

 for the sake of argument only, that, for some reason or other, 

 Pt. mascarinus has ceased to exist on the island, where are 

 the proofs tiiat it does not live in Mauritius, lohick is situated 

 onJ>/ 15 7niles from '■^ Round Is^and^^ ? It is perfectly in- 

 credible that Pt. 7nascarinns should have been confined to the 

 small " Round Island," which is not only situated in the 

 closest proximity to tlie main island, Mauritius, but even 

 connected with this latter hij several small islands! The 

 " possible cause for its [unproved] extinction " is supposed 

 by Mr. Mason to be scarcity of food, " brought about by a 

 series of dry or tempestuous seasons unduly prolonged." 

 Is this mere speculation, or has Mr. Mason some proof that 

 a series of dry "or" tempestuous seasons have occurred in 

 La Ronde? Is it likely that all the individuals of a species 

 of fruit-bat died for want of food when they had only to fly 

 15 miles to find abundance of food?— The plain facts are 

 these : a person finds a bat skull lying superficially in a 

 fissure; the skull is that of a species hitherto not recorded 

 from the place where found or its nearest neighbourhood; the 

 safest conclusion would seem to be : this person has come 

 across the (actual or deserted) hiding-place of some fruit- 

 bats, and this skull is unquestionable evidence that this very 

 species, though hitherto not known from that place, must 

 live there or in the neighbourhood; Mr. Mason's conclusion 

 is: I am unable to refer this skull to any species recorded iu 

 literature from that place ; consequently it is an extinct 

 species. 



