194 [No. 3, 



On the Pteropid^ of India and its Islands, with descriptions 

 OF New or Little Known Species, — hj G, E. Dobson, B. A., M. B., 

 Staff Surgeon J H. M.'s British Forces. 



(With Plate XIV.) 



[Read July 5th, received July IStli, 1873.] 



Althougli Dr. W. Peters has done so much towards clearing up the 

 synonymy of the Fteropidce as well as of other families of Chiroptera, much 

 yet remains to be done before a correct list of the species can be obtained. 



The state of confusion into which the species of this family have fallen, 

 in common with most species of Chiroptera, is mainly due to the great 

 imperfection of the original descriptions, from many of which it is impossi- 

 ble to recognise the family to which the species belongs.* This imperfection 

 in description has arisen chiefly from the general ignorance respecting the 

 Order which has prevailed amongst Zoologists, who seem to have shared the 

 vulgar antipathy to these animals, if we may judge from the small amount of 

 attention they have received, and also from the want of proper material in 

 the Museums. Most of the Pteropidce being large bats, and therefore unlike- 

 ly to be preserved by collectors in spirit, have been described from dried speci- 

 mens, and this also has added much to the imperfection of the description. 



Much work, therefore, remains to be done both in obtaining well-pre- 

 served duplicates, in comparing them with the type specimens, and in 

 producing from them descriptions from which it may be possible for natura- 

 lists in general to determine the species. 



If the species of the genus Fteropus, as given by Drs. Peters and 

 Gray,t be enumerated, there will be found to be not less than fifty. 

 The distribution of these fifty species is as follows : — 



Continent of India and Burma, 1 



Malay Archipelago, 25 



China, Japan, and Loo-choo Islands, 4 



Solomon Islands ; New Caledonia ; New Hebrides ; Fiji 



Islands ; Marianne and Viti Islands, 9 



Australia, 5 



Africa and its Islands, 6 



* Thus Dr. J. E. Gray remarks (P. Z. S. Lond., 1866, p. 148)—" The generic charac- 

 ters of Aello, as given by Dr. Leach, occupy nearly a page of a quarto book, and yet no 

 one has been able to discover the genus. One could not have a more convincing 

 proof that it is not mere length of character that is required to define a genus." 



t See Peters in Monatsb. Berlin Akad., 1867, p. 323, and Gray's Catalogue of 

 Monkeys, Lemurs and Fruit-eating Bats, 1870. 



