PTEROPUS JAVANICUS. 



scattered about the lips, nose, and eyes. On the upper part of the head, the crest 

 of the skull shews itself as a longitudinal ridge, which is more prominent in adult 

 individuals, and on the whole is more apparent in that variety of the Pteropus 

 javanensis to which our animal belongs, than in the other. The general form of the 

 body presents nothing pecuhar : the anterior part of the breast in the female is as 

 thickly covered with hairs as every other part, and the mammse are situated near the 

 axiU«. The organs of generation in the male are greatly developed. 



The colour of the flying-membrane is dark brown, inclining to black, with a 

 slight tint of rufous. The general colour of the body and head is black, and of the 

 neck and adjoining parts above, smoky brown ; but both the extent and intensity of 

 these colours are subject to variations. In the specimen which was figured to illustrate 

 this article, the hairs which cover the head are short, black, and scantily interspersed 

 with hairs of a grayish hue. On the back, long black and white hairs are mixed in 

 nearjy equal proportion, so as to afford a gray appearance to these parts ; they are 

 closely applied to the skin. On the rump, hairs of a similar colour are long and 

 frizzled. The covering of the under parts exhibits several modifications in different 

 specimens. In some, the hairs are smooth, and purely black ; in others, they have 

 a sooty colour, and numerous tawny hairs are intermixed. 



The upper and lateral parts of the neck, and the adjoining parts of the back, 

 between the shoulders, afford a principal distinction in the varieties of this species. 

 In many individuals, the brown or rufous hairs form a complete collar round the 

 neck, though the colour is always more intense above. The breadth of this coUar 

 varies considerably ; in some cases it extends from the middle of the head to beyond 

 the shoulders ; in others it is confined to the neck and the back part of the head. 

 The tint likewise varies from rufous to blackish brown, but in all cases it has a smoky 

 hue. In young subjects the hairs are long, soft to the touch, and glossy ; in old 

 subjects they become crisp and I'ough. 



The Pteropus javanicus is extremely abundant in the lower parts of Java, and 

 uniformly lives in society. The more elevated districts are not visited by it. Nu- 

 merous individuals select a large tree for their resort, and suspending themselves 

 with the claws of their posterior extremities to the naked branches, often in compa- 

 nies of several hundreds, afford to a stranger a very singular spectacle. A species of 

 Ficus, in habit resembling the Ficus religiosa of India, which is often found near the 

 villages of the natives, affords them a very favourite retreat, and the extended 

 branches of one of these are sometimes covered by them. They pass the greater 

 portion of the day in sleep, hanging motionless : ranged in succession, with the head 

 downwards, the membrane contracted about the body, and often in close contact, 



