FISH-EATING BATS 



245 



like distention of the intestine, would certainly be 

 capable of receiving without injury the finely 

 comminuted portions of fish swallowed after the 

 •elaborate process of mastication described by Mr 

 Gosse. The large and powerful hind foot above 

 figured might well perform the office attributed to 

 it in seizing the fish, either with or without the 

 assistance of the inter- 

 femoral membrane. To 

 give some idea of the 

 size of this Bat, it may 

 be observed that the 

 length, from tip of 

 nose to the end of the 

 extended interfemoral 

 membrane, is 5^ in.; 

 the length of head and 

 body only, 4|- in.; length 

 of fore-arm, ^^ in. ; the hind foot, i in. ; and the 

 expanse of wing, 16 in. The general colour 1 should 

 describe as orange tawny. In conclusion, it may 

 be remarked that Noctilio leporinus is not the only 

 species of bat which has been reported to catch 

 fish. So long ago as 1863 Dr J. Shortt, in a 

 communication to the Zoological Society, dated 

 " Chingleput, June 12, 1863," reported his having 

 witnessed on two occasions at Conleeveram during 

 the previous April the fishing propensities of the 

 Pteropus of India, which he named P. edulis, 

 but which was doubtless P. medius, the only 

 species of this genus which is known to inhabit the 

 peninsula of India. 



SKULL OF NOCTILIO LEPORINUS. 

 (Twice the Natural Size^ 



