PTEBOPUS EDWAEDSI. 13 



such trees as happen to be in fruit. They are fond of most gJirden fruit 

 (except oranges, &c.) ; also, the neem, jamoon, ber, and various figs» 

 About the early dawn they return from their hunting grounds, and the 

 scene that then daily takes place is well described by Tickell, in an excels 

 lent memoir published in the Calcutta Journal of Natural History, from 

 which I extract the following : — 



" From the arrival of the first comer, until the sun is high above the 

 horizon, a scene of incessant wrangling and contention is enacted among 

 them, as each endeavours to secure a higher and better place, or to eject a 

 neighbour from too close vicinage. In these struggles the bats hook 

 themselves along the branches, scrambling about hand over hand with 

 some speed, biting each other severely, striking out with the long claw of 

 the thumb, shrieking and cackling without intermission. Each new arrival 

 is compelled to fly several times round the tree being threatened from all 

 points, and when he eventually hooks on, has to go through a series of 

 combats, and be probably ejected two or three times before he makes good 

 his tenure." 



The female brings forth only one young one, which adheres firmly to. 

 the breast, retaining its position whether the dam be flying or at rest. 

 The flesh is esteemed good eating by some. Colonel Sykes calls it delicate, 

 and with no bad flavour, and states that it is eaten by the native Portu- 

 guese. Many classes in the Madras presidency also eat it. 



Whilst on service with my regiment in the Ghazeepore district during 

 the mutiny in 1858, the force was encamped in a grove of trees, on 

 one of which was a rather small colony of these Pteropi. The wind which 

 had hitherto been from the east and moist, suddenly changed to a fierce 

 hot, dry, westerly blast, and this so affected the bats, that one by one they 

 descended to lower branches, being blown to leeward of course at the same 

 time, and eventually fell to the ground, and many were picked up, panting 

 and all but Hfeless, others quite dead, by our followers, Madras grooms 

 and grass-cutters. Several_ birds and numerous flies also perished from 

 the same cause. 



13. Fteropus Leschenaultii. 



Desmarest — p. seminudus, Kelaart. — Blyth, Cat. 54. 



The P0LVOUS Fox-bat. 

 Z>escr.— Fur, of a fulvous ashy, or dull light ashy brown color, paler 



