Feb. 1, 1S68.] 



HARDWICKE'S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



27 





I 



Fig:. 



a point as the hair of the Mouse, though it is of a 

 needle-like sharpness. The trumpet-shaped scales 

 are, it seems, liable to be removed by accident ; for 

 in these dozen hairs there are several in which we 

 see one or more cups rubbed off and in one the stem 

 is destitute of them for a considerable space. The 

 stem so denuded closely resembles the basal part of 

 a Mouse's hair in its ordinary condition." 



Any one who will take the trouble to examine 

 carefully the hairs mounted and sold by Mr. 

 Topping (fig. 10), must agree 

 with Mr. Gosse, and discard 

 all notions about "whorls of 

 scales" and also cease their 

 faith in all figures which so 

 represent them. 



The only positive historical 

 information respecting the in- 

 troduction of these hairs is 

 contained in a letter from Mr. 

 H. Janson, in which he writes 

 — " I have every reason to be- 

 lieve that I was the means of 

 first introducing this object to 

 the microscopic world, and thus 

 it was : One of my immediate 

 neighbours, now many years 



■sates*.* *#>, was au ° ld Iudian ° fficer > 



named Major Godfrey, who had 

 lived twenty-five years there, and who had a strong 

 turn for natural history. He brought over with him 

 an immense load of mammalia, birds, &c. I having 

 told him that the hairs of various animals were 

 interesting objects for the microscope, he said, "I'll 

 send you over a lot of them." Accordingly he 

 sent me a pinch from a considerable number, 

 on examining which I found some good things, 

 and some of not much microscopical value, but 

 on coming to the hair of the Indian Bat I was 

 literally astounded, and exclaimed that I had 

 never seen any hair equal to that. But to 

 describe the Bat itself, which I have had in my 

 hand. It was not larger than the common English 

 Bat, but was remarkable for the length of its tail, 

 which was, I should think, full three inches long, 

 and was known in India as the Long-tailed Bat. 

 I sent a specimen to Mr. Powell (long before his 

 union witli Mr. Lealand) and he said he had never 

 seen anything like it before." The hairs which Mr. 

 Janson possessed and which were distributed by 

 him amongst his friends differ in no respect from 

 those usually sold as " The Hair of Indian Bat." 



Three catalogues have been published at different 

 times, containing more or less complete lists of the 

 Bats of South-eastern Asia, or India and the 

 countries contiguous thereto. 1 1 



I. Dr. J. E. Gray's List of the specimens of Mam- 

 malia in the collection of the British Museum. 

 London: 1843. 



II. Dr. Horsfield's Catalogue of the Mammalia 

 in the museum of the Hon. East India Company. 

 London: 1S51. 



III. Mr. Edward Blyth's Catalogue of the Mam- 

 malia in the museum of the Asiatic Society of 

 Bengal. Calcutta: 1863. 



In Dr. Gray's list are the names of 47 species of 

 Indian Bats ; in Dr. Horsfield's catalogue 34 species ; 

 and in Mr. Blyth's catalogue (including desiderata) 

 73 species. In one list some species occur which 

 are not found in the others, and some probably 

 which may be only varieties, but, taking them as 

 they stand, excluding all which are quoted as 

 synonyms, and accepting those which the authors 

 regard as distinct, we have, on a comparison of the 

 three lists, about 90 species distributed amongst 24 

 genera. Inasmuch 'as Mr. Blyth's catalogue is the 

 most recent, and taking into account the advantage 

 he possessed of residence in India, and of personal 

 acquaintance with many species whilst living, it 

 will doubtless be the most accurate. Not more 

 than half the species enumerated have hitherto been 

 examined, although this includes species in nearly 

 all the genera represented in continental India. 

 Most of the species, the hairs of which are still 

 unknown, are not found in India proper. 



Taking the species in the order in which they 

 stand in Mr. Blyth's catalogue, and dividing them, 

 not strictly according to their zoological families, 

 but, as suggested by the structure of their hair, 

 we have six groups. 



The first group includes the Pteropi only, or the 

 large frugivorous bats belonging to the genus 

 Pteropus. There are four species enumerated for 

 Indian countries, of which two only have been 

 examined. The Kalong of Java {Pteropus edulis) 

 found also in Tenasserim, and the TVawul of the 

 Malays {Pteropus Eclwarilsit) which is found in 

 India generally. The dimensions of these bats are 

 given by Dr. Hors field as five feet in expanse, with 

 the length of the body at one foot, whilst Colonel 

 Sykes declares that these dimensions are too small, 

 and that he has seen them fourteen and a half inches 

 long in the body. The hairs are large, and nearly 

 smooth on the surface, the cuticular plates or scales 

 are closely appressed, and the medulla is distinctly 

 visible, especially when mounted in balsam (fig. 11). 

 Thejiairs of the Wawul have larger scales than the 

 other species, and their longitudinal divisions are 

 scarcely apparent. The diameter of the hairs of 

 the] Pteropi is double that of the hair of any other 

 species herein enumerated. 



The second group is characterized by the large 

 medulla of the hair, and includes three genera. 

 The Dog-bat of Java {Macroglosst(S minimus) though 

 grouped scientifically with the Pteropi has hair 

 more closely resembling that of the Vampire 

 {Megaclermci). The same remark applies also to 

 the genus Cynopterus. The scales on the hair of the 



