THE MARGINED FRUIT BAT. 
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THE MARGINED FRUIT BAT.- 
In the Cynopteri , which are small Fruit Bats inhabiting Southern Asia and its islands, the 
characters are very similar to those of the preceding genera, but the muzzle is considerably shorter 
and more Dog-like, and one of the true molars is deficient, so that the whole series of molar teeth 
contains four on each side in the upper, and five on each side in the lower jaw. The most abundant 
THE ROUSSETTE. (.4^0Ut O»rf-^( 
species is the Cynopterus marginatus (see next page), which is about four inches in length, and varies 
in colour through different shades of brown and reddish-brown. It is specially distinguished by having 
the ears surrounded by a white border. This Bat occurs in all parts of India, in Ceylon, in Further 
India, and in the eastern islands to Celebes and the Philippines. It is exceedingly common, and very 
destructive to fruits, especially guavas, plain tains, and mangoes. Mr. Dobson gives the following 
account of the voracity of a specimen obtained by him at Calcutta: — He gave it “a ripe banana, 
which, with the skin removed, weighed exactly two ounces. The animal immediately, as if famished 
with hunger, fell upon the fruit, seized it between the thumbs and the index fingers, and took large 
mouthfuls out of it, opening the mouth to the fullest extent with extreme voracity. In the space of 
three hours the whole fruit was consumed. Next morning the Bat was killed, and found to weigh one 
ounce, half the weight of the food eaten in three hours ! Indeed, the animal when eating seemed to 
be a kind of living mill, the food passing from it almost as fast as devoured, eating being performed 
* Cynoptenis marginatus. 
