SOME NEW MAMMALS FROM MESOPOTAMIA. 747 



characters now observed on the spirit specimen also indicate that 

 pelhtcens, of which we previously only had skins, should be con- 

 sidered as a different species from matschiei. 



The presence of warty excrescences on membranes and limbs is 

 an interesting character, recalling the condition in Biiinopteras, bnt 

 the skull is shaped quite as in other small Eptesicus, and not as in 

 Bhinopterus. It. is possible however that species elsewhere referred 

 to Bhinopterus on account of the presence of warts, (e.g., Scahrifer 

 notius, G. M. Allen. Bull. Mus. Harv. LIT. p. 46. 1908), are also, 

 as in this case, members of Mptesicus. 



3. PiPISTRELLUS COXI, sp. n. 



A Pipistrel with a whitish undersurface, near F. riippelU. 



Size and general colour about as in P. rilppelli and nigripes, 

 though the back is more broadly washed with sandy buiT, so as to 

 hide more completely the dark bases of the hairs. Undersurface 

 wholly buffy whitish, the hairs whitish to their roots. 



Ears and limbs black ; membranes brown, not whitish. 



Skull, compared with that of P. rilppblli, smaller, with shorter 

 and less inflated braincase. Muzzle broad and flat, the supraorbital 

 ridges well developed, and continued backwards to form a percepti- 

 ble sagittal ridge, though the specimen is not old. Below, in 

 agreement with the shortened braincase. the distance from the back 

 of the condyle to the palation is 6-7 instead of about 7'2 mm. 



Teeth very much as in P. rilppelli; inner incisor large, bicuspid, 

 outer small, not surpassing the cingulum of the inner; small 

 premolar visible from without. 



Dimensions of type, measured on skin : — 



Forearm, 33 mm. Third finger, metacarpus, 30, fii'st phalanx, 

 11 '6, second phalanx, 10. 



Skull, greatest length, 12-8; condylo-basal length, 12*1; basi- 

 sinual length, 9-8 ; interorbital breadth, 4-9 ; intertemporal 

 breadth, 3-7; breadth of braincase, 7; front of canine to back of 

 m^, 4-8 ; front of p* to back of m^ 3. 



Rahitat. — Mesopotamia. Type from Bart Mahommed Chakala, 

 Amara. 



Type.—M\\\t skin. B. M. No. 19.3.1.3. Original number 151. 

 Collected 20th March, 1918, by Major R. E. Cheesman, and for- 

 warded by Sir P. Z. Cox. 



This bat is not related to any known Asiatic species, biit seems 

 to be the northern limit of a series beginning with the Uganda 

 P. fuscipes, which has a large and raiTch inflated braincase, through 

 the Egyptian and Soudanese P. riippelU, in which the brain case is 

 more normal, while in P. coxi it is distinctly smaller than usual. 

 Colour and other characters seem much the same in all. 



