ORDER CHIROPTERA,— THE FRUGIVOROUS BATS. 



slender ; its body prolonged ; its muzzle long ; and the membranes used in 

 flying broad and extended. The robe on the upper part of the body 

 is close, from the hairs throughout a part of their course adhering to the 

 skin j it is always very short, and the skin maybe seen beneath. In the young 

 the fur is longer, and quite free, a difference depending upon the age of 

 the individuals. The lower parts of the body are most clad, and the hair 

 is here somewhat curled. The ears are long and pointed. The inter- 

 femoral membrane unites the limbs to the coccygial region ; it is broad at 

 the knee, and forms a large angle: that of the wing, besides being broad, 

 is also very long ; the whole is perfectly black in the adult, and of a brown 

 colour in the young. The incisors in the upper jaw are uniform, and re- 

 gularly placed, which is scarcely the case in the inferior maxilla : there is 

 no small anomalous tooth in the upper jaw, and four molar spaces ; below 

 there is an anomalous tooth, and five molar spaces. As to colour, the 

 muzzle, cheeks, and throat, are of a deep chestnut, while the side and 

 back of the neck are of a bright red; a reddish band, accompanied 

 with another of a blackish hue, extends between the shoulders, and forms 

 the limit of the red marking of the neck, a peculiarity which distinguishes 

 this from all the other species. The back is of a dark chestnut colour, or 

 greyish-black, as are also the posterior extremities ; the chest is chestnut 

 coloured, the abdomen dark-brown, or, more generallv in the adult, per- 

 fectly black. Of the sixty specimens which enrich the Leyden Museum, 

 only three, according to Memminck, extend from the tip of one wing to 

 that of the other as much as four feet ten inches, (French,) and two to 

 nearly five feet. This nearly corresponds with the dimensions reported 

 by Dr Horsfield of those in the Museum of the Honourable the East 

 India Company. " In adult subjects, the extent of the expanded wings is 

 full five feet, and the length of the body one foot. In the specimen I 

 have before me, the extent of the wings is five feet, two inches. The 

 smallest specimen in the Museum has an expansion of three feet and ten 

 inches across the wings: all the others measure nearly five feet. The 

 length of the arm and fore-arm together is fourteen inches ; the naked 

 thumb projecting beyond the membrane measures two inches ; and the 

 claw, which is strong and sharp, has an extent of nearly an inch long in 

 its curvature." 



Though inclined to agree with Messrs Geoffroy and Temminck, that 

 Horsfield's Javanicus is a mere variety of the present, yet the Doctor's 

 account of the habits of this animal is so excellent that we shall borrow 

 freely from it. It is extremely abundant in the lower parts ot Java, and 

 uniformly lives in society. The more elevated districts are not visited 

 by it. Numerous individuals select a large tree for their resort, and sus- 

 pending themselves with the claws of their posterior extremities to the 

 naked branches, often in companies of several hundreds, afford to a 

 stranger a very singular spectacle. A species of Fig-tree, resembling the 

 Ficus religiosa of India, which is often found near the villages of the na- 

 tives, affords them a 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, they have little resemblance to living beings, and, by a per- 

 son not accustomed to their economy, are readily mistaken for a part of 

 the tree, or for a fruit of uncommon size suspended from its branches. In 

 general, these societies preserve a perfect silence during the day ; but 

 if they are disturbed, or they contend among themselves, they emit 

 sharp piercing shrieks, and their awkward attempts to extricate them- 

 selves, when oppressed by the light of the sun, exhibit a ludicrous spec- 

 tacle. In consequence of the sharpness of their claws, their attachment 

 is so strong, that they cannot readily leave their hold, without the assist- 

 ance of the expanded membrane; and if suddenly killed in the natural 

 attitude during the day, they continue suspended after death. It is ne- 

 cessary, therefore, to oblige them to take wing, if it be desired to obtain 

 them during the day. Soon after sunset they gradually quit their hold, and 

 pursue their nocturnal flights in quest of food. They direct their course, 

 by an unerring instinct, to the forests, villages, and plantations, occasion- 

 ing incalculable mischief, attacking and devouring indiscriminately every 

 kind of fruit, from the abundant Cocoa-nut of the meanest peasantry, to 

 the most delicate productions cultivated by the chiefs. By the latter, 

 as well as by the European colonists, various methods are employed to 

 protect the orchards and gardens. Delicate fruits, such as Mangoes, &c, 

 as they approach to maturity, are ingeniously secured by means of 

 a loose net or basket, skilfully constructed of split bamboo. Without 

 this precaution, little valuable fruit would escape the ravages of the Ka- 

 long. 



There are few situations in the lower parts of Java, in which this night 



wanderer is not constantly observed. As soon as the light of the sun has 

 retired, one animal is seen to follow the other at a small but regular dis- 

 tance, and this succession continues uninterrupted till darkness obstructs 

 the view. The flight of the Kalong is slow and steady, pursued in a 

 straight line, and capable of long continuance. Its chase forms occasion- 

 ally an amusement to the colonists and inhabitants, during the moonlight 

 nights, which at Java are uncommonly serene. He is watched in his de- 

 scent to the fruit trees, and a discharge of small shot readily brings him 

 to the ground. The natives of many of the Islands often employ for their 

 capture a net at the end of a long pole. They eat it; and consider the 

 flesh, which is white, delicate, and very tender, as delicious, whilst its 

 peculiar flavour disgusts most Europeans : for it has a very strong smell 

 of musk, produite par leur urine, qu'ils repandent lorsqu'on les inquiete. 

 When wounded or irritated, they utter a sharp cry like that of the Goose. 



2. PTEROPUS JUBATUS— MANED ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. et Icon. Pteropus pyrrhocephalus. — Meyen, in Nov. Act, Acad. Cur. 

 vol. XVI. pi. 4-5 and 46, (cranium.) 



Roussette a cuiniere Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 59. 



Pteropus jubatus. — Esch.' Zool. Atl. pi. 16. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair uniform deep reddish-brown ; on the face black. 

 Inhabits the Island of Luzon. 



This species, bearing a considerable resemblance to the previous or.e, 

 may properly be characterized as new, nut having hitherto found its way 

 into the catalogues, native or foreign, of our most recent s}'stematic works. 

 M. Temminck, in his second volume, has recently given an account of it, 

 deriving his materials from the memoirs of Messrs Eschscholtz and Meyen, 

 quoted below. 1 



The Maned Bat has the chest, belly, and the whole back, of a very 

 deep brown colour, and this colour is not limited between the shoulders 

 by a transverse band, as in the former species : all the neck, however, is 

 covered with a broad reddish-brown collar, which runs to a point upon 

 the upper part of the back. The whole face is black, and covered with 

 short hair; the crown of the head and occiput are of a shining orange- 

 yellow colour, whilst there is a bright brown spot beneath the ear ; the 

 ears are almost naked, about an inch long, with the apex roundish. The 

 breadth of the interfemoral membrane is an inch, and decidedly keel-shaped, 

 though the descriptions do not indicate whether the membrane surrounds 

 the coccygial region, or leaves this bone free from the membrane. The 

 eyes are of a pale red colour. In this Roussette the molars are stronger, 

 wider, and more approximated, than in any other species. The upper 

 jaw has no vestige of a false molar; there is a very small one in the 

 lower. 



These large Bats are found in the Island of Luzon, the principal of the 

 Philippines, where they cover the trees with their numerous troops, and 

 have been compared to nests suspended from the branches. They are 

 sometimes seen to fly during the day, but more frequently they are ha- 

 bitually hid under the foliage during sunshine. They are frugivorous. 

 Their flesh is tender, and much esteemed, having a great resemblance to 

 that of Frogs. It is esteemed by the .Spaniards as well as the islanders, 

 a remark which Temminck extends to all the Bats he describes. 



3. PTEROPUS EDWARDSII EDWARDS' ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. Pteropus Edwardsii Geoff. Ann. du Mus. XV. 92. — Desm. Mam. 



No. 138. 

 Roussette d'Edwards. — Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 61. 

 Pteropus medius, (Roussette intermedienne.) — Temm. Mon. Mam. 1. 

 176. 

 Icon. Great Bat from Madagascar Edw. Birds, pi. 180. 



specific characters. 



Ears broad and long. Membranes attached near the spine. No 

 transversal markings. Coat bright red. Back chestnut. Abdomen light 

 brown. 



Inhabits Madagascar, India, Ceylon. 



Edwards' Roussette is of smaller dimensions than that of our first named 

 species, a remark which applies to all the features of the face ; the ears, 

 however, are both broader and longer. The side membranes are attached 

 nearer to the spine than in the edulis, which, of course, makes the back 

 narrower ; the transversal bands are here likewise wanting. Whatever 

 variety occurs in the coats of these Bats generally, the face is always 



1 Esch. Zool. Atl — Zoologischer Atlas entlialtend Abbildungen unJ Resell: iebungen neuer Thicrasten wahrend da Flottcap .a'lis vo.i Kotzcbue Zeveiter Reise am i.e 

 Welt, in den Jahren 1823 — 1826, von Dr Friedr. Eschscholtz. Berlin, 1829 — 1833. 



2 V Atlas Zooloyique, par SI. Eschscholtz, 4', cacher avec vne figure. Memoire par M. Meyon, Nov. Acta Ph>j -Med. Acad. Cues. Leap. IS'at. Curios, tome XVI. 

 p. 604. 



