The relationship 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.
1888. Pteropus woodfordi Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 6, 1:156, February, type from Guadalcanal; 1888, Thomas, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 472, December 4; 1898, Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., 1:78; 1907, Elliot, Field Columbian Mus., Zool. Ser., 8:491; 1912, Andersen, Catalogue of the Chiroptera ... British Museum, 1:410, from New Georgia and Guadalcanal; 1931, Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:19, February 12, from Kolombangara; 1947, Sanborn and Beecher, Jour. Mamm., 28:389, November 19, from Banika and Guadalcanal; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 39, June 30.
1899. Pteropus (Sericonycteris) woodfordi, Matschie, Die Megachiroptera ... naturkunde, p. 83; 1904, Trouessart, Catalogus Mammalium ..., Suppl., p. 54.
1945. Pteropus austini Lawrence, Proc. New England Zool. Club, 23:59, March 26, from Florida.
Specimens examined (four males and three females; five in alcohol and two skin-onlys).—Fauro, in April, 23727, 23790; Guadalcanal in May and June, 23823, 23931; Pavuvo (Russell Islands) in August and October, USNM 277887, USNM 283872-3.
Measurements.—External measurements of two males and two females are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 152, 128, 132, 155; hind foot, 29, 26, 31, 28; ear, 16, 14, 14, 17; length of forearm, 79, 76, 86, 90.
Remarks.—Heretofore, Pteropus woodfordi was known from New Georgia, Guadalcanal, Kolombangara, and Banika (see [Fig. 7]); specimens from Fauro and Pavuvo islands, listed above, provide new northern localities of record for this species.
Judging by small size and unfused epiphyses, a bat obtained in April and another obtained in June are subadults. Specimens of adults, examined by me, agree well with the descriptions of P. woodfordi by Thomas (1888a:156) and Andersen (1912:407-409), but are slightly smaller than specimens listed by Sanborn and Beecher (1947:389). Color of pelage in this species seems to vary. Adults seen have a pale head and mantle, contrasting strongly with the dark back. Andersen (1912:409) and Lawrence (1945:61) discussed individuals that had scattered silvery hairs mixed with dark fur dorsally and darker mantles that did not contrast noticeably with the rest of the dorsum.