MAMMAL SURVEY OF INDIA. 287 



open country between that town and any real forest country. From its 

 evident abundance in the Kolar district it would seem to be an animal 

 that is not confined at any rate to heavy forests. They appear quite 

 unable to swim and when placed in water would strike out alternately 

 with each leg in a helpless way without making any headway. They are 

 extremely pugnacious, and when several were kept together, would fight 

 and keep up a continual squeaking throughout the day and night, while 

 every day one or more would get killed, probably more from exhaustion 

 than anything else. Their method of fighting was very peculiar; it 

 consisted of gripping each other by the fur of the head, in order to keep 

 the other's head away, and then biting each other on the feet and 

 hands, drawing blood freely. If kept alive for any length of time they 

 would have to be kept separately, or in a very large enclosure. They fed 

 freely on cooked rice and bananas, and were especially fond of grasshop- 

 pers, which they would hold in one hand and take bites from. They are 

 said also to feed largely on small lizards and other insects." — G. C. S. 



These Lorises and those received later from Coorg indicate that, besides 

 the grey form described as Loris tardir/radus lydekkerianus to which these 

 belong, there is also in S. India a representative of the form L. tardi- 

 gradus. The two forms difl'er not only in colour, as hitherto supposed, but 

 also by the size of their skulls ; and I, therefore, think they should be 

 recognised as distinct species, a conclusion in which Mr. Thomas agrees 

 with me . 



The following are the dimensions of good examples of Loris lydekkerianus 

 (No. 1922) and of Loris tardic/radus from Coorg (No. 2586), the latter is 

 perhaps rather less aged than the former. 



Dimensions.— Kesi^ and body 245 (216) ; hind foot 52 (45) ; ear 31 (25). 



Skull. — Greatest length 55 (48), Condyle to front of canine 45*5 (40'3) ; 

 back of m' to front of canine 18 (15'5) ; combined inter-orbital breadth 

 33*4 (32-4) ; breadth across m" (from the outside) 17 (15*5) ; mastoid 

 breadth 33-8 (29-4). 



Dimensions of Coorg specimens in brackets. 



Ptbropus giganteus, Bruenn. 

 The Common Flying Fox, 



(Synonymy in No. 2.) 



$ 1769, 1770, 1772, 1773, 1775, 1776, 1777, 1778, 1868. 

 $ 1768, 1771, 1774, in al 9 1794 (head only). Kolar, E. My- 

 sore. 

 S 2000, 2081. Seringapatam, S. Mysore. 



{See also Reports Nos. 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8.) 



Cynoptekus sphinx, Vahl. 



The Southern Short-nosed Fruit Bat. 



(Synonymy in No. 6.) 



$ 2043. Seringapatam, S. Mysore. 



(See also Report No. 6.) 



'^ Not very plentiful at Seringapatam, This species, unlike the large 

 * Flying Fox' seldom clings to the trees while feeding ; nearly always bit- 

 ing at a fruit while in flight, and devouring it on the wing. Its presence 

 in a district is not always easy to detect as it appears late in the evenings 

 and its flight, which is comparatively swift, is not unlike that of the larger 

 insectivorous bats." — G. C. S.] 



