14 



MAMMALIA. 



[Chap. I. 



carry off their tiny prey within the glitter of the lamps. 

 Including the frugivorous section about sixteen species 

 have been identified in Ceylon; and remarkable va- 

 rieties of two of these are peculiar to the island. The 

 colours of some of them are as brilliant as the plumage 

 of a bird, bright yellow, deep orange, and a rich ferru- 

 ginous brown inclining to red. 1 



But of all the bats, the most conspicuous from its 

 size and numbers, and the most interesting from its 

 habits, is the rousette of Ceylon 2 ; — the " flying fox," as 

 it is called by Europeans, from the similarity to that 

 animal in its head and ears, its bright eyes, and intel- 

 ligent little face. In its aspect it has nothing of the 

 disagreeable and repulsive look so common amongst the 

 ordinary vespertilionidae ; it likewise differs from them 

 in the want of the nose-leaf, as well as of the tail. In 

 the absence of the latter, its flight is directed by means 

 of a membrane attached to the inner side of each of the 

 hind legs, and kept distended at the lower extremity 

 by a projecting bone, just as a fore-and-aft sail is dis- 

 tended by a " gaff." 



In size the body measures from ten to twelve inches in 

 length, but the arms are prolonged, and especially the 

 metacarpal bones and phalanges of the four fingers over 

 which the leathery wings are distended, till the alar 

 expanse measures between four and five feet. Whilst 

 the function of these metamorphosed limbs in sustain- 

 ing flight entitles them to the designation of " wings," 

 they are endowed with another faculty, the existence of 



1 Khinolophus affinis ? var. ru- Hipposideros speoris, var. aureus. 



bidus, Kelaart. 



Hipposideros murinus, var. ful- 

 yus, Kelaart. 



Kelaart. 



Kerivoula picta, Pallas. 

 Scotophilus Heathii, Horsf. 

 2 Pteropus Edwardsii, Geoff. 



