Sanborn and Beecher (1947:389) decided that "until fully adult specimens showing the characters of _austini_ are available, it best be considered a synonym of _woodfordi_." For the following reasons I agree with these authors: (1) _austini_ is known from only two specimens, both of which are apparently subadults; (2) _austini_ is reported to have a forearm 84 long and no interfemoral membrane, whereas _woodfordi_ has a forearm about 96 long and an interfemoral membrane that is only slightly developed; (3) specimens that agree in size and cranial characters with the type of _woodfordi_ but that lack an interfemoral membrane have been obtained; and (4) skulls of subadults of _woodfordi_ agree with the description of skulls of _austini_.
Sanborn (1931:19) reported that specimens of _Pteropus woodfordi_ were obtained at night, while feeding on young green coconuts. Lawrence (1945:62) reported that in the late afternoon a collector found individuals of _austini_ [= _woodfordi_] in the fronds of a coconut tree, apparently feeding on pollen shoots. Sanborn and Beecher (1947:388) have reported malaria (_Plasmodium_) in _P. woodfordi_ obtained on Guadalcanal. They suggested that malaria might have rendered one individual helpless because when it was found, on the ground, no wounds were evident and parasites were present in the blood.
[Illustration: FIG. 7. Distribution of _Pteropus woodfordi_ ([BW]) and _P. mahaganus_ ([BC]). For names of islands see Fig. 2.]
1931. _Pteropus mahaganus_ Sanborn, Publ. Field Mus. Nat. Hist., Zool. Ser., 18:19, February 12, type from Santa Ysabel, also reported from Bougainville; 1954, Laurie and Hill, List of land mammals of New Guinea, Celebes and adjacent islands, p. 39, June 30.
_Specimens examined_ (one male and two females; one in alcohol).--Bougainville, in August and October, USNM 276972, USNM 277104-5.
_Measurements._--Measurements of one male and two females are, respectively, as follows: Length of head and body, 180, 204, 198; hind foot, 42, 38, 44; ear, 25, 23, 22; length of forearm, 134, 138, 140. Measurements of the skull of the male and one female are, respectively, as follows: Greatest length of skull, 52.5, 55.8; condylobasal length, 50.9, 54.3; palatal length, 24.1, 26.0; zygomatic breadth, 28.9, 32.5; breadth across first upper molars, 14.4, 15.0; width of M1, 2.2, 2.2; length of maxillary tooth-row, 17.4, 18.4; length of mandibular tooth-row, 20.1, 21.4.