Measurements.—Average and extreme measurements of four males and seven females are as follows: Length of head and body, 281 (260-302); hind foot, 52.3 (50-58); ear, 33.1 (31-37); length of forearm, 173 (168-180). Average and extreme measurements of skulls of three males and six females are as follows: Greatest length of skull, 73.7 (71.3-77.7); condylobasal length, 73.1 (70.5-77.4); zygomatic breadth, 40 (36.4-41.5); breadth across first-upper molars, 20.9 (18.3-22.1); length of maxillary tooth-row, 28.1 (26.9-29.9); length of mandibular tooth-row, 31.8 (29.7-32.7).
Remarks.—Pteropus rayneri grandis is the largest subspecies of the species. It is also the widest ranging subspecies, being found on six islands (see [Fig. 6]).
Although the specimens listed above agree well with descriptions of color given by Thomas (1887a:147) and Andersen (1912:259, 263-264), some individual variation is noticeable. In bats not yet fully grown (judging from small size, unfused epiphyses, and lack of wear on teeth), numerous scattered hairs on the sides of the face and crown are buffy. In adults the face and crown are blackish. With regard to individual variation in color of mantle and rump patch, specimens with the following combinations were noted (1) mantle Brick Red, rump patch bright, basal three-quarters of hairs white, tips Warm Buff (2) mantle darker, near Hessian Brown, rump patch dark, Chestnut along edges, center Ochraceous-Tawny (3) mantle Brick Red, rump patch intermediate between the two other types. Size of rump patch also is variable. In some specimens it extends onto the upper parts of the thighs whereas in other specimens it does not.
Sanborn (1931:16) reported an extra tooth, behind the last lower molar, in a specimen from Choiseul. In one of three specimens in the Bishop Museum, m3 is lacking. Judging from Troughton's (1936:346) remarks, size of individuals varies considerably. Specimens that he examined from Bougainville had longer forearms (up to 177) and larger hind feet (54-57) than those examined by me from Choiseul. On the other hand, specimens listed above from Bougainville agree well with those from Choiseul. In many specimens in the U. S. National Museum, length of the right- and left-forearm differ. For example, in No. 276926 the right forearm measures 180 whereas the left is 174; in No. 277098 the right is 172 and the left is 167. Troughton (1936:346) gave standard ear measurement in P. r. grandis as ranging from 29.5 to 31.5. Ears of specimens that I examined varied from 31.0 to 37.0.
Pteropus rayneri rubianus Andersen
1908. Pteropus rubianus Andersen, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 8, 2:366, October, type from Rubiana; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:255; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:15, February 12, from Narovo (Simbo).
1954. Pteropus rayneri rubianus, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 35, June 30.
1888. Pteropus grandis (part), Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 470, December 4, from Rubiana; 1899, Matschie, Die Megachiroptera ... naturkunde, p. 15; 1904, Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., Suppl., p. 49.
Specimens examined (two males and one female).—Kolombangara, in February, 23458-60.
Measurements.—Measurements of two males and one female are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 253, 265, 251; hind foot, 53, 50, 50; ear, 30, 31, 32; length of forearm, 158, 161, 160; greatest length of skull, 70.2, 67.4, —; condylobasal length, 67.0, —, 68.4; zygomatic breadth, 40.0, 39.4, 40.7; breadth across first upper molars, 19.4, 20.4, 19.9; length of mandible, 53.9, 49.4, 51.3.