MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 33 



" Found in small colonies, roosting on the underside of the leaves of 

 some Talipot Palms at Sirsi. Occurring at Jog and Honawar, where some 

 specimens were obtained roosting on the inside eaves of a house. 



Unless the roosting places of the smaller Fruit Bats are found, it is not 

 easy to obtain them, or even to discover whether they occur as, unlike the 

 Flying Fox, they come out well after sunset, when they can be heard, or 

 on moonlight nights seen, flying round trees that are in fruit". — G. C S. 



Lyroderma LYRA, Geoff. 



The Indian Vampire Bat. 



(Synonymy in No, 1.) 



6 974, 975, 978, 979. $ 969, 970, 971, 972, 973, 976, 977, 999, 1000 in 



al. 1001, 1003. Sirsi, N. Kanara. 

 J 1029, 1098, 1099, 1101, 1104. $ 1100, 1102, 1103. Jog., N. Kanara. 

 5 1243, 1244. Honawar, N. Kanara. 

 $ 1261, 1262, 1263, 1264, 1265, 1292, 1293, 1294 in al., 1278, 1279, 1280, 



1281, 1282, 1283, 1284. Sagar, N. W. Mysore, 

 d' 1338, 1353, 1354, 1355. $ 1337, 1356. Kardibetta Forest, N. 



W. Mysore. 



{See also Reports Nos. 1, 4 and 5.) 



Mbgaderma spasma TRiFOiiuM, Geoff. 



The Malay Vampire Bat. 



(Synonymy in No. 5.) 



S 871, 872, 875, 877, 892, 918, 920, 938, 937. $ 873, 874, 876, 893, 

 894, 909, 917, 919, 921, 922, 923, 938, 939, 940, 941 in al., 879, 902, 

 924, 925, 926, 927, 928, 929. Sirsi, N. Kanara. 



2 1014. Hulekal, N. Kanara. 



? 1119, 1132, 1205, 1221, 1222. Gersoppa, N. Kanara. 



{See also Report No, 5.) 



" Megaderma and Lyroderma seem to have practically the same 

 distribution in Kanara and to be equally plentiful. They are similar in 

 habits and in their choice of roosting places. I have never found them in 

 company with other bats, which is probably on account of their carnivorous 

 habits. At Honkan I found them together in the same Temple, while both 

 were plentiful round Sirsi and Hulakal, in old Temples and disused wells. 

 I never again found both species together. At this time most of the 

 females were pregnant or carrying young, the usual number being one, 

 although two were quite frequent (about one in six) especially in Megaderma. 



When at rest, the young are always attached to the abdominal teats 

 which developed in size like the pectoral ones. (It is not uncommon to 

 find that only one has developed. The young cling to their mothers very 

 closely. Besides holding on with their mouths, they hook the claws of 

 their thumbs to the hind legs firmly, and clasp their own hind legs firmly 

 around the necks of the females. The abdominal teats when compressed 

 give out freely a clear liquid secretion ; from the working of the jaws of 

 the young while attached to them, it is probable that they obtain nourish- 

 ment as well as support from them. 



The young are able to fly well before they finally leave their mothers, who,. 

 when carrying them, are often quite unable to fly owing to their weight. 



Blanford is incorrect in including Megaderma among the early and 

 swiftly flying bats, as a fact they come out late and, like most of the other 

 leaf -nosed bats, have a fluttering and comparatively slow flight, as compared 

 with Taphozous, Scotop)hilus, &c. 



