On some new or little-known species of Mammalia, 101 



IX. — Brief Notices of several new or little-known species of 

 Mammalia, lately discovered and collected in Nepal, by Brian 

 Houghton Hodgson, Esq. By T. Horsfield, M.I). 



Early in the year 1853, B. H. Hodgson, Esq., late of the 

 Bengal Civil Service, presented to the Museum of the East 

 India Company, a large collection of prepared skins of Mam- 

 malia, chiefly from the higher regions of India, with duplicates 

 of most species. Many of these have already been communi- 

 cated to the public in a detailed catalogue prepared by Dr. John 

 Edward Gray, chief Zoologist of the British Museum, with the 

 title of ^' Specimens and Drawings of Mammalia of Nepal and 

 Tibet, presented by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., to the British Museum, 

 December 10th, 1845/' 



Since Mr. Hodgson's return to India in 1 847, various new 

 and interesting species of Mammalia have been discovered by 

 him in Nepal, Darjeling, Tibet, and other parts of India near 

 the Himalayan range, which are not contained in the catalogue 

 above mentioned ; of these a concise description is now given, 

 with remarks on several other species hitherto imperfectly 

 known. 



Of the numerous duplicates liberal distribution has been 

 made, under the orders of the Hon. Court of Directors of the 

 India Company, agreeably to the recommendation of Mr. 

 Hodgson, to the British Museum, the Derby Museum at 

 Liverpool, to several other English museums of natural history, 

 and also to the museums at Leyden, Frankfort and Heidelberg, 

 on the continent of Europe. 



Of the family of Vespertilionidse the collection contains the 

 following species : — 



1. Megaderma schistacea, Hodgs. J. A. S. xvi. 589, with a 

 figure. 



Megaderma Lyra, Geoff, apud Kelaart, Prodr. Faunae Zeylanicse, Mam- 

 malia, p. 1 1 . 



This species was discovered by B. H. Hodgson, Esq., in 1847, 

 in Sikim Tarai, and a very copious description of its form and 

 habits is given in vol. xvi. of the Journ. As. Soc. Beng. It 

 appears to be the representative of the M. Lyra in the higher 

 regions of Bengal, and though very like that species, Mr. 

 Hodgson considers it clearly distinct, on account of its slaty 

 colour in the living state, and his figure represents it of that 

 tint. When dry it can scarcely be distinguished from M. Lyra : 

 this appears from the specimens set up in the Company's 

 museum. Dr. Kelaart, who found it in Ceylon, introduces it 



