Part 4 (1/2)

woodfordi_ can be included in the _Pteropus scapulatus_ group of Andersen (1912:402).

=Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s=

_Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s_ is a wide-ranging species of flying fox having at least seven subspecies; three occur in southeastern Asia, two on and near Celebes, and two in New Guinea and islands adjacent to the southeastern coast of New Guinea, including one island in the Solomons (Ellerman and Morrison-Scott, 1966:95; Laurie and Hill, 1954:32-33).

[Ill.u.s.tration: FIG. 5. Distribution of _Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s luteus_ ([TW]), _Pteropus admiralitatum solomonis_ ([RW]), _Pteropus a.

colonus_ ([BW]), _Pteropus a. goweri_ ([LW]), _Pteropus tonga.n.u.s geddiei_ ([RTW]), and _Pteropus howensis_ ([BC]). For names of islands see Fig. 2.]

=Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s luteus= Andersen

1908. Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s luteus Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 2:362, October, type from Kiriwini Island, Trobriand Islands; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:128; 1947, Sanborn and Beecher, Jour. Mamm., 28:388, November 19, from Banika Island, Russell Islands.

_Specimens examined._--None.

_Remarks._--Andersen (1908:362) identified specimens of _Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s_ from eastern New Guinea and three nearby islands (Conflict Islands, Trobriand Islands, and Woodlark Island) as _P. hypomela.n.u.s luteus_. Sanborn and Beecher (1947:388) identified a female from Banika Island in the Solomons as of this subspecies although this specimen was darker and had a slightly smaller skull than typical _P. hypomela.n.u.s luteus_. They noted that the pelage of the venter of the female was uniformly dark rather than the typical Ochraceous-Buff to Cream-Buff; the specimen was regarded as a dark phase of the subspecies. Although not recorded previously for _luteus_, other subspecies of _P.

hypomela.n.u.s_ were known in dark phase as well as pale and intermediate phases of coloration (Andersen, 1912:122). The reported occurrence of _P. h. luteus_ on Banika Island extended the known geographic range about 450 miles eastward from Woodlark Island.

=Pteropus admiralitatum=

Three subspecies, all about the same size but differing in coloration, have been described from the Solomon Islands. _P. a. goweri_ is known only from Gower (Ndai) Island, notably removed from the western chain of islands inhabited by _P. a. colonus_ and _P. a. solomonis_. Only one other subspecies, from the Admiralty Islands, is known.

=Pteropus admiralitatum solomonis= Thomas

1904. _Pteropus solomonis_ Thomas, Novit. Zool., 11:597, type from Ghizo Island; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ...

British Museum, 1:149; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:12, February 12, from Ronongo (Ganongga), Vella Lavella, and Narovo (Simbo) islands; 1947, Sanborn and Beecher, Jour. Mamm., 28:389, November 19, from Banika and Guadalca.n.a.l islands.

1954. _Pteropus admiralitatum solomonis_, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 33, June 30.

_Specimens examined._--None.

_Remarks._--Andersen (1912:149) considered _Pteropus admiralitatum_, and especially the subspecies _P. a. solomonis_, to be the easternmost ”representative” of _Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s_. In comparison with _P.

hypomela.n.u.s luteus_, _P. a. solomonis_ differs mostly in size, being much smaller (length of forearm about 110 rather than 134). It is now known that both species occur on Banika Island in the Solomons.

The subspecies _P. a. solomonis_ has been recorded from a ”chain” of islands that included Vella Lavella, Simbo, Ghizo, Ganongga, Banika, and Guadalca.n.a.l (see Fig. 5).

=Pteropus admiralitatum colonus= Andersen

1908. _Pteropus colonus_ Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 2:363, October, type from Shortland Island; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:150; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:12, February 12, from Mono Island.

1954. _Pteropus admiralitatum colonus_, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 33, June 30.

1887. _Pteropus hypomela.n.u.s_ (part), Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc.

London, p. 471, December 4; 1898, Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., 1:82, from ”I. Salomonis.”

1899. _Pteropus (Spectrum) hypomela.n.u.s_ (part), Matschie, Die Megachiroptera ... naturkunde, p. 24.