.34 Remarks on Pteropus Edulis, Geoffroy. 



any of this uproar. As the sun sinks below the horizon, 

 the Pteropi drop silently from the branches, one by one, 

 and sail away into the coming gloom. They first shape 

 their course to a tank or river, and sweeping down to the 

 water's surface, lap as they fly along, until their thirst is 

 sated, when they wend their course to the trees, the fruit of 

 which may happen to be in season. 



This animal is entirely frugiverous, devouring almost any 

 fruit, either wild or of the garden, in which at times he 

 makes great havoc, especially among plantains. Among 

 wild fruits, they prefer the mowhooa berries, and the figs of 

 the bar, peepul, and goolar. 



They eat, when alighted, in silence, hanging heel down- 

 wards by one hind foot, the other being employed in hold- 

 ing the food,* which is devoured slowly, in large mouthfulls 

 at a time, both cheeks being crammed full, and the tongue 

 protruded. Its jaws being incapable of lateral motion, the 

 animal is compelled to open and shut them solemnly up and 

 down, munching, so to say, all the while with great deliber- 

 ation. Those I have now in captivity (five in number) are 

 fed on goolars, (Ficus glomerata), which they chew in the 

 manner above mentioned, until they have extracted all the 

 juice, when the remaining pulp is ejected out of the mouth. 

 Glutinous and farinaceous food, such as plantains, they do 

 not serve in this manner. 



Many classes of Hindoos, especially in Bengal eat these 

 animals, and in Java (if our subject be the same as the 

 " Kalong" of Dr. Horsfield,) they are thought a delicacy. 

 The flesh looks well enough, but the animal has a strong 

 penetrating odour, which one would suppose would affect 

 the taste ; this smell is as bad in the female as in the male ; 

 it pervades the body, and does not exude from any secreting 

 gland — at least, I can find none. 



* It does not hold the fruit by grasping, but by sticking its claws in, 

 in the fashion of a prong or fork. 



