THE ROUSSETTE BATS. 



11 



To this place we are inclined to refer certain Bats from Western Africa, 

 described by Messrs Bennett and Gray under the name of Epomophorus. 



29. PTEROPUS WHITII WHITE'S ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. Epomophorus Whttii. — Gray, in Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 504). 



Pteropus Whitei Benn. in Trans. Zool. Soc. 



Icon, Pteropus Whitei. — Benn. in Trans. Zool. Soc. II. pi. 6. 



specific characters. 



The Hair pale brown above, whitish beneath. 



An Odoriferous Gland on each side of the neck, covered by bunches 

 of white hair — in the male only ? 

 Inhabits Western Africa. 



At the first glance of White's Roussette, the attention is arrested by a 

 singular projecting patch of long white hairs placed on each side of the 

 neck in front of the shoulders, and looking almost like a mass of white fea- 

 thers. As we have no where seen this singular ornament of a consider- 

 able number of Bats, so minutely described as by the late Mr Bennett, we 

 shall here transcribe his words. " The oval patch on either side of the 

 neck, occupied by the white and peculiar tufts, measures about an inch 

 in its longest diameter, which is from before backwards. The skin in this 

 part has no other covering than that which is peculiar to the spot itself. 

 This consists of straight, soft hairs, which diverge in all directions as from 

 a common centre. Those that are situated towards the middle of the patch 

 are longer than the others, and are partly directed forwards and partly 

 backwards, having generally a dorsal inclination : their length is twice as 

 great as that of the longer hairs of the body. The mode of their insertion 

 into the skin is unlike that of the ordinary fur : in the latter, the hairs are 

 implanted either singly, or a few only near each other, so that the cover- 

 ing of these becomes nearly uniform ; in the patches on the sides of the 

 neck, the hairs are gathered together into bundles, and are inserted in 

 fascicles into the skin, leaving between the several minor tufts interspaces 

 altogether naked. Each of the separate fascicles contains probably from 

 fifty to sixty hairs : and the approximation of these at their base, and their 

 divergence towards their tips, might almost be regarded as bearing a distant 

 analogical resemblance to the quill and dilatation of the feather of a Bird." 

 Considerable obscurity still hangs over the precise use of this apparatus. 

 M. Temminck is of opinion, as already stated, that the diverging hairs 

 cover a glandular structure which secretes an odorous substance, " which 

 may probably afford indication to these animals in the season of their 

 amours;" and Mr Bennett suggests, that the secretion poured forth may 

 serve to sheath and protect a projecting part of the animal from the friction 

 to which it must be subjected during its passage through the air. 



The incisors are small and regular; the canines of intermediate size : the 

 first false molar in the lower jaw is small, and of the normal form, but the se- 

 cond in this jaw, and the first in the upper, are of the same forms as the ca- 

 nines, and very little inferior to them in size, so that when the mouth is opened 

 there appear to be four canines in each jaw ; next follows in either jaw a 

 tooth with a large lobe upon the outer edge, and a small one within, which 

 is of the intermediate form between the true and false molars ; after which 

 come two normal molars in the lower and one in the upper jaw. The 

 molars are separated from each other by a vacant space. 



The fur of the body is closely set and soft, and consists of slightly 

 wavy hairs of moderate length. It extends along the anterior extremities 

 nearly as far as the wrist, densely covering the limbs ; and is equally fur- 

 nished on the hinder limbs as far as the ankle. The interfemoral mem- 

 brane is entirely invested with fur. On the alar membrane there are a 

 few hairs in small distant tufts. The colour is dark brown above, some- 

 what lighter beneath. 



The only ascertained habitat of this species is Western Africa. 



30. PTEROPUS MACROCEPHALUS.— GREAT-HEADED 

 ROUSSETTE. 



Syn. Epomophorus macrocephalus. — Gray, in Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 504. 

 Pteropus macrocephalus. — Ogilby, in Proc. Zool. Soc. III. 100. 

 P. megacephalus. — Swainson, in Lard. Cab. Cyc. LXXII. 92, 356. 



specific characters. 



The Hair pale dull fawn above, paler beneath ; fascicled and diverging 

 on the sides of the neck. 

 Inhabits Western Africa. 



This Roussette has been procured in the same locality as the former, 

 and possesses, it would appear, precisely the same dentition. These cir- 

 cumstances would apparently indicate the necessity of distinguishing them 

 as a separate group ; but we agree with Mr Bennett in thinking, " that 

 the dentary character of the Bats seems to vary so irregularly, that it would 

 be hazardous to rely on them alone for generic distinctions." 



The Great-headed, like White's Roussette, has tufts upon the neck, 

 but so little conspicuous that they would be overlooked if the attention 

 were not specially directed to the ascertaining their existence. The hairs 

 of the sides of the neck, of a pale dull fawn colour, are generally slightly 

 larger than the adjoining ones, and pass insensibly into those of the under 

 surface, which resemble them in all respects except in being paler. On 

 separating the fur so as to allow an inspection of its mode of insertion, a 

 part will be found in which the hairs are implanted in bundles, and have 

 a tendency to diverge as from a common centre. The coat above is ge- 

 nerally of a deep fawn colour ; beneath paler ; and there is a conspicuous 

 white spot on the bore of the ear. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



1. P. Gambianus, (Ogilby, in Proceed. Zool. Soc. III. 100,) from 

 Western Africa, is said to have the head moderately long, and a tuft of 

 white hairs at the front base of the wing. 



Mr Ogilby describes the dental system of this species as precisely similar 

 to that of Nos. 29 and 30 ; and it is upon this circumstance that Mr Gray 

 forms these three species into his genus Epomophorus. We fear, how- 

 ever, that this is a hasty classification ; and agree with Mr Bennett, that 

 it is " more advisable to abstain from regarding this genus as constituted." 



imaginary species. 



1. Pteropus Javanicus (Horsf. Zool. Jav.) does not differ specifically 

 from P. edulis. 



2. P. palliatus (Geoff. Ann. Mus. XV. and Desm. Mam.) is the 

 young of Cephalotes Peronii. 



3. P. medius is identical with P. Edwardsii. 



Note — Pteropus minimus (Geoff. Ann. Mus.) is now transferred to 

 the Genus Macroglossus ; Pteropus melanocephalus and P. titthoecheilus 

 belong to the modern Genus Pachysoma. 



M. Isidore Geoffroy-St-Hilaire has given a monograph of this 

 family in the Diet. Class. d'Hist. Nat., art. Roussette. He has 

 formed the genus Pachysoma with the Pteropus titthrecheitus of 

 Temminck, and some allied species, on account of their having four 

 molars less, while the zygomatic arches are more prominent than 

 in the others. Of the Pteropus minimus or rostratus, he has com- 

 posed the genus Macroglossus ; its muzzle is longer and more 

 slender ; some vacant intervals appear between the molars, and its 

 tongue is believed to be extensible. Finally, he has separated the 

 Cephalotes of Pallas from that of Peron, to the latter of which he 

 has assigned the term Hypoderma, on account of the insertion of 

 its membranes and wings being wholly dorsal. 



GENUS II. PACHYSOMA.— STOUT-BODIED 

 ROUSSETTES. 



Syn. Pachysoma— Isid. Geoff, in Diet. Class. XIV. 703 Temm. Mon. 



Mam. II. 91. 

 Pteropus, (in part.) — Temm. Mon. Mam. I. 198. 



GENERIC CHARACTERS. 



The Head spheroidal, large. The Muzzle large. The Zygomatic 

 Arches prominent. 



The Thumb inserted for one half of its length in the membrane. 

 The Mammae placed before the arm-pit. 



The Dental Formula f+^+ < F + 3 > ™=™=Z0 

 12+0+ (F+4) M 16 



This genus, instituted by M. Isid. Geoffroy, comprehends several species 

 of a small size, which have hitherto been classed with the previous one, 

 (Pteropus,) and from which they are distinguished by the following pecu- 

 liarities : Their form is generally heavy and stout, — whence their name ; 

 their head is large and short, principally in front, necessarily leading to 

 corresponding modifications in the dental system. In the Pachysoma, ac- 

 cordingly, we find but 30 teeth, instead of 34, there being a molar less on 

 each side of each jaw, and that the last, and not the second one, as might 

 be supposed. The form of the cranium is also remarkable ; the muzzle 

 is large, and the cerebral cavity very voluminous and spheroidal ; whilst 

 between them there is a marked compression, though not equal to that 

 found in the great Roussettes. The space between the cranium and 

 the zygomatic arch is, however, much larger than in the ordinary Rous- 

 settes ; and the muscles which go to the lower jaw are correspondingly 

 large. Lastly, the mamma} are placed anterior to the insertion of the 

 humerus. 



Their habits, moreover, are nocturnal, and they never issue from their 



