Part 6 (1/2)

The color of _P. r. lavella.n.u.s_ is close to that of _P. r. rubia.n.u.s_ except that the crown, mantle, and foreneck are near Chestnut-Brown, the basal portions of hair black, and the fur of the venter, from sternum to pectoral region, is dark, almost black (compare with description of _P.

r. rubia.n.u.s_ under account of that subspecies).

Measurements of the male examined are greater than those of the female studied. Andersen (1912:259) noted that the canine teeth are heavier in males than in females.

=Pteropus rayneri monoensis= Lawrence

1945. _Pteropus rayneri monoensis_ Lawrence, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 23:63, March 26, type from Mono (Treasury); 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 36, June 30.

_Specimens examined._--None.

_Remarks._--_Pteropus rayneri monoensis_ is the most recently described subspecies of _P. rayneri_. Lawrence (1945:63) judged that in most ways this bat is intermediate between _P. r. grandis_ and _P. r. lavella.n.u.s_.

Coloration of _monoensis_ indicates affinity with the former, whereas length of forearm (145-148) approaches that in the latter. The small skull, narrow palate, and whitish rump patch of _monoensis_ are differences that distinguish it from _grandis_ and _lavella.n.u.s_. The relatively isolated position of Mono Island may have been important in establishment of the distinctive features of this bat.

Lawrence (1945:65) quoted a collector as stating: ”They [individuals of _P. r. monoensis_] rest quietly during the day in the tops of heavy-leaved, tall jungle trees, and start flying about dusk, looking for feeding spots. There is usually quite a flight for fifteen to twenty minutes at twilight....”

No additional specimens of this subspecies have been collected on small adjacent islands and _monoensis_ may therefore be confined to Mono Island.

=Pteropus rayneri cognatus= Andersen

1908. _Pteropus cognatus_ Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 2:365, October 1, type from San Cristobal; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:251; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:15, February 12, from San Cristobal and Ugi; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 35, June 30.

1962. _Pteropus rayneri cognatus_, Hill, The natural history of Rennell Island, British Solomon Islands, 4:9, February.

1870. _Pteropus rayneri_ (part), Gray, Catalogue of monkeys, lemurs and fruit-eating bats ... British Museum, p. 108, from San Cristobal; 1878, Dobson, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, p. 33.

1904. _Pteropus_ (_Spectrum_) _rayneri_ (part), Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., Suppl., p. 51.

_Specimens examined._--None.

_Remarks._--Specimens of _Pteropus rayneri cognatus_ first were reported under the name _Pteropus rayneri_ based on three specimens (one from San Cristobal and two from Guadalca.n.a.l). Because the description was based mostly on the two specimens from Guadalca.n.a.l, the name _rayneri_ is applicable to the bats from that island. Andersen (1908:365) thought that specimens that he studied, from San Cristobal, were specifically distinct from _P. rayneri_ and he proposed the name _Pteropus cognatus_ for them. Later, Hill (1962:9) reduced _cognatus_ to subspecific status under _P. rayneri_.

Presently _P. r. cognatus_ is known only from San Cristobal and the small adjacent island of Ugi (see Fig. 6).

=Pteropus rayneri rennelli= Troughton

1929. _Pteropus rennelli_ Troughton, Rec. Australian Mus., 17:193, September 4, type from Rennell Island; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 35, June 30.

1962. _Pteropus rayneri rennelli_, Hill, The natural history of Rennell Island, British Solomon Islands, 4:7, February.

_Specimens examined._--None.

_Remarks._--Until recently, _Pteropus rayneri rennelli_ was known from but a single specimen. Hill (1962:7) reported two additional specimens and pointed out that _P. r. cognatus_ and _P. r. rennelli_ probably represent the extremes of an east-west cline in size. _P. r. rennelli_ and _P. r. cognatus_ differ from other subspecies of the species in lacking tricolored pelage on the dorsum, but their short rostrum clearly indicates affinity with other members of this complex group in the Solomon Islands (Hill, 1962:8).

The relations.h.i.+p of the subspecies _rennelli_ and _cognatus_ is close, both geographically and genetically. Longer forearm, longer metacarpals, and longer mandibular tooth-row serve to differentiate _rennelli_ from _cognatus_.

=Pteropus woodfordi= Thomas

1888. _Pteropus woodfordi_ Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 1:156, February, type from Guadalca.n.a.l; 1888, Thomas, Proc. Zool.