10 



ORDER CHIROPTERA.— GENUS PTEROPUS. 



thority of M. Temminck. M. GeofFroy informs us that he himself de- 

 tached many individuals of the species from the ceiling of one of the cham- 

 bers of the Great Pyramid, and hence he could have no doubt of one of 

 its habitats. Subsequent investigation, however, has shown that it is 

 found at Senegal, and is now supposed to be common to the whole of 

 Northern Africa. 



The muzzle of this Roussette is short, and the eyes equidistant between 

 the nostrils and ears. The interfemoral membrane is broad, surrounding 

 the coccyx, and enveloping half of the very short tail, the upper portion 

 of which member is covered both above and below with long and frizzly 

 hair. The incisors are small, narrow, and symmetrically arranged j the 

 inferior are detached, and, like the upper, placed in pairs ; the false molars 

 are very small. The fur is short, woolly, and close, except in the front 

 of the neck, where the hairs are long and fewer. A dull grey forms the 

 prevailing hue, which is deeper above than below ; the membranes are 

 brownish-grey. The thumb is proportionally not so long as in the other 

 species. 



24. PTEROPUS LESCHENAULTII SPOTTED ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. La Roussette Leschenault. — Isid. Geoff, in Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat, 



XIV. 702 Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 86 Desm. Mam. sp. 142. 



Icon. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair greyish-brown above, light fawn beneath ; the neck with a 

 fawn-coloured collar. The Alar Membrane spotted with white in pa- 

 rallel lines. 



The Tail very short, nearly free from the interfemoral membrane. 



Inhabits the East Indies. 



Specimens of this species have for a considerable time existed in the 

 Paris Museum, and, more lately, three have been introduced into the 

 collection at Brussels. It was originally discovered by the Naturalist 

 whose name it bears, in the neighbourhood of Pondicherry, and M. Roux 

 found specimens at Calcutta. The tail is almost entirely free from the 

 interfemoral membrane, and about six lines long. The Spotted Roussette 

 is of a light fawn colour on the abdomen, and greyish-brown on the back ; 

 the back of the neck has a fawn-coloured collar upon it, and the head is 

 dark brown. The ears are short and round. The superior and anterior 

 portion of the membrane is marked with a number of whitish spots, ranged 

 in parallel lines, more distinct in the young than in the aged. It is by 

 mistake that M. Desmarest and Hamilton Smith have placed this species 

 among the Tailless Bats. 



25. PTEROPUS AMPLEXICAUDATUS. 

 ROUSSETTE. 



-LONG-TAILED 



Syn. La Roussette amplexicaude, (P. amplexicaud atus. ) — Geoff. Ann. 



Mus. XV. 96 Temm. Mon. Mam. I. 200. 



Icon. Ann. Mus. XV. pi. 4, copied in Temm. Mon. Mam. I. pi. 13, — II. pi. 



36, fig. 18 and 19, (cranium and teeth.) 



specific characters. 



The Hair russet brown above, red brownish-grey beneath. 

 The Tail as long as the femur, partly surrounded by the interfemoral 

 membrane. 



Inhabits Timor, Amboyna, Sumatra, and the adjacent parts of Asia. 



This species is about the size of the Common Bat of Europe, ( Vesper, 

 tilio murium;) its eyes are equidistant between the eye and the nostril ; 

 the alar membranes approximate on the medium line of the back ; the in- 

 terfemoral is quite naked, and involves the upper part of the tail, which 

 equals in length a line drawn from the anterior margin of the eye to the 

 point of the nose. The incisors are small and symmetrically arranged ; 

 the muzzle rather long. The fur is fine, smooth, and very short, though 

 close ; it covers the extremities very imperfectly, and is quite wanting on 

 the membranes of the side. The back, too, is but partially covered. 

 Russet brown is the marking of the head and upper parts of the body, 

 whilst a red brownish-grey, somewhat tinged with the colour of wine lees, 

 is the tint of the under : in the male the red predominates, in the female 

 the brown. All the members are of russet brown, and the fingers of yel- 

 low-brown, which is also the colour of the naked tail. In the young the 

 body is very sparingly covered with soft, fine, and sleek hairs. 



The discovery of this species is due to Messrs Lesson and Lesueur, 

 during their voyage to Southern Australia. Messrs Diard and Duvaucel 

 also mention, it has been captured in the neighbourhood of Bencoolen, 

 and Temminck has examined specimens sent from Siam. 



26. PTEROPUS HOTTENTOTTUS HOTTENTOT 



ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. Roussette Hottentot, (P. Hottentottus.) — Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 



87 Smuts 1 Mam. Cap. p. 3. 



Icon. Temm. Mon. Mam. II. pi. 36, fig. 16 and 17, (cranium and teeth.) 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair light grey and brown above ; dull brown beneath. The 

 Membranes covered with hair beneath only. 

 The Tail short, free at the base. 

 Inhabits Southern Africa. 



The size of the Hottentot Roussette is somewhat larger than that of 

 the Amplexicaudatus ; the alar membranes are similar in their connection 

 and form, but better furnished with hair on their inner side ; the same re- 

 mark applies to the interfemoral membrane, which has the appearance of 

 the letter V reversed. The tail commences at this point ; it is quite free, 

 but does not extend beyond the margin of the membrane; its length only 

 equals one half of the distance from the anterior margin of the eye to the 

 point of the nose, or the half only of that of the Amplexicaudatus. The 

 incisors are very small, symmetiically arranged, and contiguous; there 

 is a space between the molars. The ears are short and rounded ; the 

 muzzle long and compressed. The very short fur is fine, smooth, and 

 close ; possessing two colours above, and only one underneath ; above, 

 the hairs are light grey at their base, and brown at the point, inclined to 

 a russet shade in the male, and to dull brown in the female ; all the in- 

 ferior parts, in both sexes, are mouse-coloured. 



This species, therefore, presents the following distinguishing characters ; 

 the shape of the interfemoral membrane at the coccyx, the shortness of 

 the tail, which is free in the groove, and the length of the muzzle ; these, 

 together with its greater size, readily distinguish it from the Amplexicaudatus, 

 with which it might most easily be confounded. The Hottentot Roussette 

 has no indication of a siphon or of odoriferous glands. It is found in the 

 neighbourhood of Cape Town, and also in the interior. 



27. PTEROPUS LEACHII LEACH'S ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. Pteropus Leachii Dr Smith, in Zool. Jour. IV. 443. — Temm. Mon. 



Mam. II. 88 Smuts Mam. Cap. p. 5. 



Icon. 



specific characters. 



The Hair brownish-grey above ; dull grey beneath. The Membranes 

 blackish. 



The Tail short and free. 

 Inhabits Southern Africa. 



Leach's Roussette received its name and first description from the well 

 known Naturalist, Dr A. Smith. It has the same locality with the last 

 named, and Dr S. informs us that it is found abundantly in the gardens 

 about Cape Town, during the fruit season, and often proves very destruc- 

 tive to vineyards in the night. The colour above is a sort of brownish- 

 grey, beneath a dull pale smoke grey. The incisors are short, strong, re- 

 gular, and rounded at the tips ; the head long ; ears of moderate length, 

 and rounded at the apices ; the membranes are blackish, the interfemoral 

 one only edging the inner side of each hinder extremity ; the tail is free. 



28. PTEROPUS MARGINATUM— BORDERED ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. La Roussette a oreilles bordees, (P. marginatum) — Geoff. Ann. 



Mus. XV. 97 Temm. Mon. Mam. I. 202. 



Icon. Ann. Mus. XV. pi. 5, copied in Temm. Mon. Mam. I. pi. 14. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair olive brown ; a white border round the ears. 

 The Tail very short, almost free. 

 Inhabits Bengal. 



The incisors of this species are very slender, and symmetrically arranged, 

 though almost crowded between the canines j the eyes are equidistant be- 

 tween the nostrils and ears ; these appendages are of medium size, and 

 bordered with a very distinct margin ; the tail is exceedingly short, and 

 connected at its root with the interfemoral membrane ; the upper part of 

 the humerus and alar membrane are well clad. The fur generally is spare, 

 short, of an olive brown colour; the chanfrin is somewhat full. 



A single individual of this species was sent to Paris from Bengal by the 

 late M. Mace, and from this M. Geoffroy's original description (which 

 has served for all the subsequent ones) was taken ; a re-examination is 

 desirable, though its specific characters are sufficiently distinct. 



1 Smuts Mam. Cap. — Dissertatio Zoologica, Enumerationem Mammalium Capensium continens. Auctore Johanne Smuts. Leidae, 1832. 



