2. piEROPtrs. 23 



1. Pteropus vulgaris. 



Pteropua vulgaris, Geoffroy, Ann. du Museum, xv. p. 92 (1810) ; 



Te7>iminch, Monogr. Mammal, i. p. 182 (1827), ii. p. 74 (1835-41). 

 Spectrum vulgare, Gray, Catal. Monkeys and Fruit-eating Bats, 



p. 100 (1870). 



Ears much shorter than the muzzle, almost concealed by the long 

 fur of the head, narrow, acutely pointed, clothed thinly in front and 

 behind by short hairs. Interfemoral membrane narrow, quite con- 

 cealed by the long fur behind. 



Fur everywhere, except on the muzzle, long and woolly, extending 

 upon the sides of the muzzle in front of the eyes, thickly upon the 

 humerus and fleshy part of the forearm, and occujjjing a space three 

 and a half inches wide across the loins, extending also upon the legs 

 to the ankles, a few hairs covering the backs of the feet, and a band 

 of very short thinly spread hairs about half aa inch wide is found 

 along the posterior margin of the wing-membrane from the foot 

 almost as far as the end of the last finger ; beneath, the wings are 

 thickly covered with long fur between the humerus and the femur, 

 and a broad band of long fur extends outwards behind the elbow 

 along the forearm. 



Face and crown of the head bright yellowish buff ; back of the 

 head, neck, and shoulders bright bay or reddish brown, the fur 

 covering the middle of the back between the line of attachment of 

 the wings dark brown, that extending upon the wings and extre- 

 mities pale buff ; under surface of the muzzle and sides of neck 

 yellowish buff or red ; neck and anterior part of the chest black or 

 dark reddish brown; breast and abdomen dark reddish brown*, 

 pubis and hair covering the interfemoral membrane yellowish brown 

 or buff. 



Crowns of the lower incisors grooved or notched ; first upper 

 premolar minute, deciduous ; second and third upper and lower 

 premolars with small posterior and external basal cusps. 



Length, head and body, about 9", ear 0"-8, eye from nostril 1", 

 forearm 6"-2, thumb 2"-5, second finger 4"-5; third finger — metacarp. 

 4"-l, 1st ph. 3"-05, 2nd ph. 4"-5 ; fifth finger— metacarp. 4"-2, 1st 

 ph. 2", 2nd ph. 2" ; tibia 2"-9, foot l"-8. 



Hah. Madagascar (Tamatave), Bourbon, and Mauritius. 



This species is at once distinguished from all other species of 

 Pteropus approaching its size by the remarkably short and very 

 acutely pointed ears, which are clothed on both surfaces. In no 

 other species is the fur covering the sides of the back so peculiarly 

 coloured, and in none (except Pt. macMotii) are the sides of the face 

 clothed with equally long hair. 



a ad sk. Purchased. 



6.' cj'ad.sk. Mauritius. II. Whitely, Esq. [P.]. 



» A specimen in the Leyden Museum, from unknown locality, differs from all 

 others In having the terminal third of the hairs of the chest and abdomen 

 Bhining yellowish buff. 



