160 



Zoological Society : — 



4. M. australis, n. s. 



This species differs from M. blepotis in having the face more 

 hairy, the ears relatively smaller, and the thumb much smaller, and 

 in being itself much smaller. The fur too of the under parts en- 

 croaches somewhat on the membranes, whilst in M. blepotis the 

 latter are quite free from fur. 



M. Temminck, speaking of the latter species, says, " La femelle 

 n'a guere plus de 3 pouces 4 lignes (of length) ; envergure a-peu- 

 pres 10 pouces ; antibrachium 1 pouce 6 lignes; " which statement 

 of dimensions appears to apply with moderate accuracy to the pre- 

 sent species. It is not, however, the female of M. blepotis, as I 

 have examined specimens of both sexes, adult and immature ; and 

 if neither age nor sex will explain the great difference in size, it must 

 be regarded as a very remarkable variety or as a distinct species. 

 The fact of its occurrence over a very considerable range of country 

 — the Indian islands and Australia, inhabiting alike island and con- 

 tinent without manifesting any difference in appearance, is very 

 strong evidence against its being a mere variety, and in my opinion 

 fully establishes it as a distinct species. 



The general colour of the fur is very similar to that of M. blepotis; 

 but the generality of specimens have a more decided rufous tinge, 

 which is given by the tips of the hairs being paler and redder than 

 the base. But this is not perceivable in some individuals, and thus 

 they are of the ordinary sombre colour of the Australian examples 

 of M. blepotis. 



In the following Table of Dimensions, columns 1 and 2 refer to 

 adult males, 3 to an adult female in young, 4 to a youngish male 

 with the wing-joints imperfectly ossified, all of them being preserved 

 in spirit in the British Museum ; and column 5 to a specimen in skin 

 in the same collection, — the whole of them having been collected in 

 Australia by Sir G. Grey, K.C.B., and presented to the National 



Length of the head and body... 



of the tail 



of the head 



of the ears 



of the tragus 



of the fore-arm 



of the longest finger ... 



of the fourth finger . . . 



of the tibia 



of the foot and claws... 



Expanse of wings 



10 6 



Collection. The dimensions in column 6 have been taken from the 

 specimen of M. blepotis mentioned in Dr. Gray's 'Catalogue of 



it must be evident that the length of this line will depend on their complete or 

 partial expansion, and in dried specimens it is almost impossible to have them all 

 with the wings in an exactly similar position. It is on this account that I have 

 adopted the method just stated. 



