13. NYcrINoMUS, 437 at first sight, it appears to be a small variety of that species. On closer examination, however, it is easily distinguished by the very different form of the antitragus, and by the short connexion of the ears in front.
a. 3 ad., al, San Geronimo. Purchased.
& © ad., al. Ecuador. Mr. Fraser [C.].
e,d, d ad., al. Duefias, Guatemala. O. Salvin, Esq. [C.]. 18. Nyctinomus brasiliensis.
Nyctinomus brasiliensis, Is. Geoffroy, Ann. des Sci. Nat. i. p. 337 ( 1824) ; Gervais, Expéd. du Comte de Castelnau, Zoologie, p. 60, pl. xii. figs. 2 & 2a (teeth) (1855); Peters, MB. Akad. Berl. 1865, p- 573; Dobson, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 731.
Dysopes nasutus, Temminck, Monogr. Mammal. i. p. 234 (1827). Nycticejus cynocephala, Le Conte, Cur. Anim. Kingdom, yp. 431 (MeMurtrie ed.) (1831).
Nyctinomus murinus, Gray, Mag. Zool. § Bot. ii. p. 501 (1838). Nyctinomus multispinosus (Peale), Burmeister (vide Peters, 1. c. 1865, p. 573).
Molossus cynocephalus e¢ fuliginosus, Cooper, Ann. New-York Lye. iv. 1837, pp. 65, 67.
Rhinopoma carolinense, Gundlach, nec Geoffroy, Wiegm. Archiv, 1840, p. 358.
Dysopes naso, Wagner, Suppl. Schreb. Stiugeth. i. p. 475 (1844). Nyctinomus mexicanus, Saussure, Rev. et Mag. Zool. 1860, p. 283. Molossus aztecus, Saussure, 1. c. p. 285.
Nyctinomus nasutus, Tomes, P. Z. S. 1861, p. 68; Allen, Monograph of the Bats of N. America, p. 7, fis. 6, 7 (1864). Nyctinomus musculus, Gundlach, MB, Akad. Berl, 1861, p. 149. Kars nearly as long as the head, laid forwards they extend almost to the end of the nose; inner margins not united, but arising close together from the muzzle about midway between a line drawn between the eyes and the extremity of the nose; inner and outer margins of the ear-conch almost regularly convex, continuous; the inner margin with five or six minute horny projections; antitragus but slightly developed, separated posteriorly by a shallow and small notch; tragus quadrate, larger than in J. gracilis (Plate XXII. fig. 8). Upper lip with numerous vertical wrinkles; muzzle flat above, terminated by the sharply cut margins of the nostrils. No gular sac in male or female.
Wings from the distal third of the tibie near the ankles. Fur moderately long and very dense, extending upon the wings, above and beneath, as far outwards as a line drawn from the middle of the humerus to the knee, the remainder naked. Lower incisors six, crowded, the outer incisors very slender, overlapping the external margins of the middle incisors, the internal margins of which are also overlapped by the central incisors ; first upper premolar small, with an acute cusp well elevated above the gum in the centre of the small space between the canine and second premolar. ; Length (of an adult 2), head and body 2°25, tail 1'"+, tail free
438 EMBALLOX URID&.
from mombrane 0''-8, head 0'°8, ear 0'°7, tragus 0'°15 x 0'"12, forearm 1"-7, thumb 0'°3; third finger—metacarp. 1-65, 1st ph. 0''-65, 2nd ph. 0'"8; fourth finger—metacarp. 0''°65, Ist ph. 055, 2nd ph. 0'"45; fifth finger—metacarp. 0''8, Ist ph. 0'-5, 2nd ph. 0-25; tibia 0'"5, foot 0'"33.
Hab. The warmer regions of North and South America and their islands, extending from California to Chili; apparently everywhere distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of America, where it is probably the most common species of the genus, as it has the widest range.
Type in the collection of the Paris Museum.
The habits of this species are probably generally similar to those of the other species of the genus; and they have been carefully observed by the late Mr. W. Osburn, to whom and to Mr. P. H. Gosse we owe almost all our knowledge of the habits of the American Bats. I give here a short quotation from Mr. Osburn’s notes, published in P. Z.8. 1865. Writing from Rowington Park, Vere, Jamaica, he remarks :—‘ Vast numbers of these little Bats inhabit the shingled roof of this house. It is an unusually favourable place for observing them. The rooms are ceiled. A storeroom without ceiling communicates directly with the roof, whence a view can be obtained of a large part over the ceiling of the other rooms. . . . I often observed them during the day exactly as Goldsmith’s line expresses, ‘Lazy bats in drowsy clusters cling;’ for, what seems surprising, notwithstanding the extreme heat of the situation—shingles exposed to the sun (and it was disagreeably hot and confined where I stood, 12 or 15 feet below)—the Bats clung in complete clusters. I counted fourteen little heads in a mass about the size of a turnip. But they were not all asleep; now and then a wing is stretched with drowsy enjoyment; and the luxury King James thought too great for subjects, and ought to be reserved tor kings, is largely indulged in by Bats. First one and then another wakes up, and, withdrawing one leg and leaving himself suspended by the other alone, adroitly uses the foot at liberty as a comb, with a rapid effective movement dressing the fur of the underpart and head—an action far from ungraceful. The foot is then cleaned quickly with the teeth or tongue, and restored to its first use. Then the other leg does duty. Perhaps the hairs with which the foot is set may aid to this end. I often have seen them do this in confinement ; and probably the numerous Bat-flies with which they are infested may be the cause of extra dressing. . . . Their evening exit during March was about half-past six o'clock. About eight to nine o’clock they returned, . . . They remain very active all night, scampering and shuffling about their ample quarters.” a-d. 6 & 9 ad. al. City of Mexico. Purchased.
e, f. ad. sks. Oaxaca, Mexico.
g. ad. sk. Mexico. Purchased.
A, @. ad. sks. Mexico. Mr. Sallé [C.].
J-l. $ & Q ad. al. Tehuantepec. Purchased.
m,n. fad, al. Duefias, Guatemela, QO, Salvin, Esq. [P.].
13. NYCTINOMUS. 439 o. ad. sk, Duetas, Guatemela. O. Salvin, Esq. [P.]. p. ad. sk. Province of Conchagua.
g. d imm., al. Costa Rica. Purchased.
nm @ ad, al. Jacuman. G. E. Dobson, M.B. [P.]. s. ad. sk. Jamaica, Capt. Hamilton [P. ].
t. ad. sk. Jamaica. J. R Redman, Esq. [P.].
(Type of Nyctinomus murinus, Gray.)
u,v. fo ad., al. Hayti. J. Hearne, Esq. [P.]. w. 9 ad., al. Maldonado. C. Darwin, Esq. [P.]. a fo ad, al. West Indies. Mr. Scrivener fo} y, 5. ad. sk. Province of Santiago, Purchased. a,b’. 2 ad., al. Chili. Purchased, c'-f'. ad. sks. Chili. Purchased.
g'. Q ad, al. Chili. Purchased.
fh’. ad. sk. Chili. Purchased.
7. ad. sk.
19. Nyctinomus norfolcensis.
Molossus norfolcensis, Gray, Ann. Nat, Hist. iv. p. 7 (1839). Nyctinomus planiceps, Peters, MB. Akad. Berl. 1866, p. 22. Molossus wilcoxii, Krefft, List of Australian Bats (187 b. Nyctinomus norfolcensis, Dobson, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 732. Ears triangular, shorter than the head, separate, the inner margins arising from distinct points of origin; inner margin of the conch almost straight, tip broadly rounded off, outer margin straight ; antitragus scarcely distinguishable from the outer margin, a small almost imperceptible shallow notch indicating its commencement ; tragus triangular, rounded off above; muzzle flat, obtuse; the upper lip with shallow vertical wrinkles ; nostrils opening sublaterally. Gular sac small, aperture circular, directed downwards; quite rudimentary in the female.
Wings from the ankles; the outer and inner toes equally enlarged. Fur reddish brown above, paler beneath ; base of the hairs much lighter. Above, a broad band of very short fur covers the wings behind the proximal four fifths of the forearm, but does not extend to the carpus.
Upper incisors long, widely separated at their bases, converging inwards and forwards; a blunt projection from the cingulum of each posteriorly. First upper premolar small, but much larger than in the other species of the genus, filling up the space between the canine and second premolar. Lower incisors six, deeply bifid; first lower premolar small and acutely pointed, its inner side partly covered by the expanded cingulum of the second premolar, as in M. rufus; second premolar double the size of the first, its cingulum directed obliquely forwards and upwards*. ; Length (of an adult 9), head and body 2'"1, tail 1-25, tail free from membrane 0:6, head 08, ear 0'°6, tragus 0'°15 x 0""1, forearm 1'"35, thumb 0:26; third finger—metacarp. 13, Ist. ph. 0-55, 2nd ph. 07; fourth finger—metacarp. 1"25, 1st ph. 0-45, 2nd ph. 0"4; fifth finger—metacarp. 09, Ist ph. 035, 2nd ph. 0-15; tibia 0'°4, foot 0'°3.
* See remarks on the natural position of this species, pp. 441, 442,
440 EMBALLONURID&.
Hab. Australia (N.S. Wales; Queensland) ; Norfolk Island. a. ad. sk. (type). Norfolk Island.
b. 9 ad, al. New South Wales. Mr. Krefft [C.].
2 1-1 é Ine. § pm. 33. Ears separate, tragus triangular. (Subgenus MormoprTervs, Peters.)
20. Nyctinomus albiventer.
Nyctinomus albiventer, Dobson, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 733. Ears triangular, shorter than the head, inner margins arising from distinct points of origin from the forehead; inner margin of the ear-conch almost straight, slightly concave in upper third, tip rounded off, outer margin straight; antitragus scarcely defined, separated posteriorly by a very shallow notch (Plate XXI. fig. 4) ; tragus nearly as broad opposite the base of its inner margin as high, irregularly triangular, rounded off above, very similar in shape to that of WV. norfolcensis, but less triangular and broader above, an obtuse projection about the middle of its outer margin. Extremity of the muzzle projecting very much beyond the mandible, the end of the nose very prominent and distinct from the upper lip; nostrils opening almost laterally. Sides of the upper lip with vertical grooves not well defined. Gular sac small.
Wings from the lower third of the tibie or from the ankles ; fifth toe somewhat smaller than the first.
Dentition similar to that of NV. acetabulosus (vide injrd, p. 441), but the lower incisors are not crowded.
Fur, above, white at the base, the remaining part dark brown ; beneath, the greater part of the chest and abdomen dirty white, the sides brown. Wing- and interfemoral membranes nearly naked ; a narrow band of fur extends outwards behind the forearm and along the proximal third of the fifth metacarpal bone. Length (of an adult 2, the type), head and body 2-2, tail 1"-25, tail free from membrane 0"-7, head 0'-85, ear 0'°65, tragus 0'°15, forearm 1':45, thumb 0:35; third finger—metacarp. 1'*4, 1st ph. 0-55, 2nd ph. 0'°7; fourth finger—metacarp. 1'°4, lst ph. 0'"5, 2nd ph. 0-35; fifth finger—metacarp. 0-9, 1st ph. 0':35, 2nd ph. 0-15; tibia 0-4, foot 03.
Hab. Madagascar.
a. 9 ad., al. (type). Madagascar. Purchased.
21. Nyctinomus acetabulosus.
Molossus acetabulosus, Commerson, MS. (vide Peters, MB. Akad. Berl. 1869, p. 402).
Nyctinomus acetabulosus. Desmarest, Mammalogie, p. 117 (1820); Dobson, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 734.
pele a natalensis, Smzth, Illustr. S. Afr. Zoology, Mammalia, pl. 49.
Nyctinomus (Mormopterus) jugularis, Peters, P. Z. 8. 1865, p. 468.
13. Nycrinomus. 441 Ears quite separate, arising from the sides of the forehead at a short distance above and in {front of the eyes ; the inner margin of the ear-conch slightly convex for two thirds its length, abruptly concave in upper third, so that the upper extremity of the ear is attenuated, and the subacute tip projects forwards and inwards instead of backwards and outwards as in most species of Bats (Plate XXI. fig. 5); outer margin of the conch forming almost a straight line from the tip to its termination near the angle of the mouth, interrupted only by a slight emargination opposite the middle of the tragus indicating the commencement of the antitragus ; tragus nearly as broad as high, irregularly triangular, with a truncated vertical angle. Muzzle flat, extremity projecting considerably beyond the lower lip; sides of the upper lip with short ill-defined vertical wrinkles. In males a large glandular sac opens in the centre of the inferior surface of the neck; in females rudimentary.
Wings from the distal third of the tibie; the fifth toe not so much thickened as the first.
Fur dark reddish brown above, somewhat paler beneath. Upper incisors separate from the canines and also from each other ; lower incisors small, slender, bifid, crowded; the second incisor on each side slightly overlapped by the margins of the first and third ; canines without basal cusps ; the single upper premolar separated by a narrow interval from the canine, with a projecting base internally, which is concave behind, and anteriorly develops an acute cusp; first lower premolar unicuspidate, equal to three fourths the second in vertical extent.
Length (of an adult ¢), head and body 1'"9, tail 1-7, tail free from membrane 0":6, head 0-75, ear 0'6, tragus 0-15, forearm 1-55, thumb 0":25; third finger—metacarp. 1'°5, 1st ph. 0"6, 2nd ph. 0-7; fourth finger—metacarp. 1"°5, Ist ph. 05, 2nd ph. 0-4; fifth finger—metacarp. 1'-15, 1st ph. 0"4, 2nd ph. 0"2; tibia 0'"4, foot 0'"35.
Hab. S.E. Africa (Natal) ; Madagascar; Bourbon; Mauritius. a,b. 6& 9 ad., al. Mauritius. Zool. Soc. Coll.
c. do ad., al. A. Newton, Esq. [P.].
d, ad. sk. M. Parzudaki [C.].
The three last-described species, NV. norfolcensis, N. albiventer, and WV. acctabulosus, differ from all the other species of the genus in the relative lengths of the metacarpal bones of the third and fifth fingers, resembling rather, in this respect, the species of the subgenus Myopterus (gen. Molossus). In all other species of Nyctinomus the metacarpal bone of the third finger is double the length of that of the fifth; in these three species, and in Myopterus, it is but one half longer. These species also agree together in the form of the tragus (in which they also differ from all other species of Myctinomus and resemble Myopterus), in their distinctly separated ears, in the possession of six lower incisors, and in the
442 EMBALLONURID: 2.
presence of a glandular gular sac. These characters appear sufficient to unite them in a subgenus at least. But W. norfolcensis has an additional upper premolar, which is even better developed than in other species of the genus, and therefore belongs to the subgenus Nyctinomus ; while NV. albiventer and N. acetabulosus, on account of the absence of this small premolar, are relegated to the subgenus Mormopterus.
It is therefore impossible, in a natural arrangement of the species, to separate WV. albiventer and N. acetabulosus into a distinct subgenus characterized by the number of the upper premolars, for this would exclude WV. norfolcensis, which is undoubtedly, in all other respects, very closely allied to them, and forms with them a well-defined section of the genus.
Group MYSTACIN A, The characters of the group are indicated under those of the single genus below.
14. MYSTACINA.
Mystacina, Gray, Voyage of the ‘ Sulphur, Mammalia, p. 28 (1843) ; Tomes, P. Z, S. 1857, p. 188, Ears separate; the inner margin of the ear-conch arising from the side of the head, the outer margin commencing opposite the inner, not carried forwards on the side of the face; tragus long, attenuated ; muzzle obliquely truncated as in Molossus; the nasal apertures oblong, vertical.
Middle finger of three phalanges, whereof the first is flexed downwards and forwards upon the metacarpal bone (in repose); legs short, with well-developed tibiee and fibulee as in the Molossz; outer and inner toes larger than the other toes; tail perforating the interfemoral membrane and appearing upon its upper surface. Dentition. Inc. > c. = pm. aa m. 5-5.
Upper incisors large, in the centre of the space between the canines ; upper premolars well developed.
This genus, represented by a single species only, unites some of the characters of the Vespertilionide to those of the Emballonuride, and in the latter family connects the subfamily Emballonurine with the Molossine.
1. Mystacina tuberculata.
Mystacina tuberculata, Gray, Voyage of the ‘Sulphur, Mammalia, p. 23 (1843) ; Voy. of the ‘ Erebus’ and ‘ Terror, iv. pl. 22 (1844) ; Tomes, P. Z. S. 1857, p. 188, pl. liv.; Dobson, P. Z. S. 1876, p. 486, figs. a, 6 (thumb and foot).
Mystacina velutina, Hutton, Trans. New-Zealand Institute, iv. p. 185 (1871).
Crown of the head rather abruptly but slightly elevated above the
14. mysTAcINA, ? 443 face-line ; muzzle long, conical, terminated by tho projecting extromity of the nose, which extends far beyond the lower lip, and is separated from the lateral portion of the upper lip by a groove on either side; nostrils very prominent, with thickened rounded margins terminating the muzzle in front; nasal apertures consisting of narrow vertical slits directed sublaterally with a groove between; mouth small, the upper lip projecting on all sides, as in the Molosst, beyond the lower lip, but apparently not so expansible as in that group. Ears oval, obtusely pointed, in general outline very similar to thoso of Vespertilio dasyeneme; but the outer margin of the conch is more convex, the inner margin commences directly from the side of the head without forming a lobe (in this respect agreeing with the species of this family), the outer margin terminates similarly : tragus long, attenuated upwards subacutely pointed, and directed slightly inwards and forwards; outer margin slightly convex, inner margin correspondingly concave, a small erect tooth-like projection on the outer side near the base ; a ridge passes backwards from the posterior commissure of the eyelids to the base of the inner margin of the tragus.
Thumb long, armed with a large and very acute claw, which has a small talon projecting from its concave surface near the base (see P. Z. 8. 1876, p. 487, fig. a) ; the feet have similarly long and very acute claws, and at the base of each a similar talon is placed (J. ¢. fig. b). The posterior extremities are short, the legs very short and thick ; and the outer and inner toes shorter and thicker than the others, as in other species of the subfamily, but they are not fringed with long hairs.
The feet are remarkably large, and much rotated outwards and forwards so as to allow of easy progression. The structure of the sole of the foot and of the inferior surface of the leg is very peculiar. The plantar surface, including the toes, is covered with soft and very lax integument, deeply wrinkled; and each toe is marked by a central longitudinal groove with short grooves at right angles to it, as in the Reptilian genus Hemidactylus. The lax wrinkled integument covering the sole of the foot is continued along the inferior flattened surface of the ankle and leg (J. c. fig. b).
The antebrachial membrane is scarcely developed, a mere rudiment of it exists in the angle at the elbow.
Wings from the ankles or tarsi; calcanea feeble. The greater part of the wing-membrane is exceedingly thin, but a narrow portion along the forearms, the sides of the body, and the tibie is remarkably thick and leathery, with numerous deep wrinkles, and of a yellowish-brown colour, contrasting with the dark hue of the other parts. Similarly the base of the interfemoral, as far as the point where it is perforated by the tail, is thickened and wrinkled. Beneath this thickened portion of the volar membrane the wings are folded, and it is evidently analogous to the thickened portion of the anterior wings in Hemiptera and to the elytra of the Coleoptera.
: The folded wing occupics a very small space, and this is due to
444 EMBALLONURID.E.
the presence of an additional joint in the middle finger, to the thinness of the wing-membrane, and especially to the manner in which the phalanges of the fingers are folded. The first phalanx of the middle finger, instead of being folded (in repose) upon the dorsal surface of the metacarpal bone (as in the other species of this subfamily), is flexed downwards, inwards, and forwards upon the inferior surface of the metacarpal, carrying with it (by traction on the membrane) the corresponding phalanx of the fourth finger, which lies folded downwards and forwards, between it and the metacarpal bone; the second phalanx is folded backwards on the first, and the third phalanx is folded forwards on the second. Being thus reduced by this peculiar folding process into the smallest possible space, the wing is then tucked in beneath the thickened portion of the wingmembrane, and between it and the inferior thin margin of a strong musculo-tendinous band, which extends from the distal fourth of the humerus and from the inferior surface of the rudimentary and thickened antebrachial membrane along the inferior surface of the humerus to the metacarpal bone of the thumb. The posterior half of the interfemoral membrane, from the point where the tail perforates it, is rolled upwards and forwards beneath the leathery anterior half. With the wing- and interfemoral membranes thus encased, this species is the most quadrupedal of Bats. Fur very peculiar, and quite different from that of any other known species of Bat, so that the quality of the fur is alone characteristic of this very remarkable species. The hairs are moderately long and much thicker than in any other species. Viewed under the microscope the shaft of each of the long hairs appears almost quite smooth, with very slight indication of the margins of the hair-scales so conspicuous in every other species of Chiroptera. Above, brown, the terminal third of the hairs greyish brown ; beneath much paler. The face is thickly covered, and long erect hairs spring from the small glandular prominences behind the nostrils and fringe the lip, but the membranes are nearly naked. Upper incisors as in Molossus rufus, with diverging cusps, lower incisors trifid ; first and second upper premolars about half the size of the canine and nearly equal; first lower premolar about three fourths the second in vertical extent, but equal to it in cross section ; all the molars acutely tubercular.
Length, head and body 2'°5, tail 0-7, head 1'-05, ear 0'°7, tragus 0-4, forearm 1'°75, thumb 0:4; third finger—metacarp. 1'55, 1st ph. 0'-45, 2nd ph. 0'"55, 3rd ph. 0-55; fourth finger—metacarp. 1-55, 1st ph. 0-4, 2nd ph. 0'"55; fifth finger—metacarp. 1-4, Ist ph. 0-28, 2nd ph. 0'"4 x 0""3; tibia 0-65, foot 0'"55. Hab. New Zealand.
The peculiarities of structure described above must accompany some corresponding peculiarities in the habits of this species. The denticles at the bases of the very sharp claws of the thumbs and feet would undoubtedly greatly assist the animal in making good its hold when climbing; and this, taken into consideration with the peculiar manner in which the wings are protected from injury when not em-