Mammalia. 



23 



1. Pteropus natalis, Thomas. (Plate I.) 



P.Z.S., 1887, p. 511. 



Mr. Thomas's description of this species, founded upon two adult 

 females and a new-born male, is given below : — 



''Colour (?) uniformly deep shining - black all over, the only 

 variation in^ tone being that while the head is absolutely black 

 there is a faint brownish tinge in the fur of the body. Fur thick, 

 soft, woolly, more so, of course, upon the head and neck than on 

 the back, but nowhere really straight; on the fore limbs above 

 it extends along the humerus, and thinly along the proximal half 

 of the forearm ; on the back its least breadth is about 2^ inches ; 

 on the hind limbs it extends thinly to about half-way down the 

 tibia. Below, the humerus, proximal half of forearms, hind limbs 

 to just below the knee, and wing membranes between the body and 



Fig. 7. — Skull and Mandible of Ftcropus natalis, showing dentition. 



jSTatural size. 



a line drawn fi'om the centre of the forearm to the knee, are all 

 thinly clothed with scattered woolty black hairs. Muzzle broad 

 and obtuse. Ears rather short ; laid forward, they barelj" reach 

 to the posterior canthus of the eye ; their anterior edges evenly but 

 slightly convex, their tips pointed or narrowly rounded off, their 

 outer margins straight or faintly concave for their upper half, 

 markedh' convex for their lower ; their basal half thinly hairy 

 internally ; their distal half quite naked, black. Wings arising 

 on the back about an inch apart. Interfemoral membrane narrow, 

 quite hidden in the fur. 



" Teeth, especially the canines, small and short. Upper incisors, 

 forming an evenly curved series, touching one another, their total 



