158 



Zoological Society. 



Temminck's description, but reduced to English measure ; and No. 4 

 from Mr. Hodgson's description oi Noctulinia lasyura, A specimen 

 bearing the latter name having been forwarded by that gentleman to 

 Dr. Horsfield, has enabled me to identify it with the V, suillus of 

 M. Temminck. 



Length of the head and body... 



of the tail 



of the head 



of the ears 



Breadth of the ears 



Length of the tragus 



of the fore-arm 



of the arm 



of the longest finger ... 



of the fourth finger . . . 



- of the thumb 



' of the tibia 



■ of the foot and claws ... 

 Expanse of wings 



4. 

 in. lin. 

 2 6 

 1 9 

 11§ 

 8i 



1 9 

 1 H 

 3 3 



Hah. Java, Sumatra, and the continent of India. 



Although Mr. Hodgson has forwarded an unquestionable example 

 of this species under the name of Noctulinia lasyura, yet the dimen- 

 sions which are appended to his description are more nearly those of 

 V. Pearsonii. It is quite possible that the two may have been con- 

 founded. 



During the examination of this singular species, its affinities with 

 the group consisting of V. formosus, V. emaryinatus, V. rufo-pictus, 

 and V. Pearsonii became sufficiently manifest. The general form 

 of the head and face, of the tragus, of the organs of flight and the 

 members of support, the quality and distribution of the fur, but, 

 more than all, the general conformation of the cranium and the short- 

 ness of the teeth, are points of essential resemblance, — whilst the 

 differences are, with the exception of that in the number of the pre- 

 molars, purely external. So external are they, that a neat hand, 

 with the assistance of a pair of scissors and a sharp knife, might 

 speedily, with very slight alteration, remove all the external peculiari- 

 ties of Murina. If a very small piece were scooped out of the outer 

 margin of the ear, it would resemble that of V. Pearsonii ; if the 

 prominent rim of the nostril were reduced a little, the nose and face 

 would precisely resemble the same parts in V.formosus\ and if a 

 mere scrap of membrane were taken from the margin of the wing 

 near to the toes, reducing it to the base of the latter, the change 

 would be complete. 



The more important difference therefore consists in the presence 

 of an additional premolar in the lower jaw, and the absence of one 

 in the upper jaw. 



Mr. W. 11. Flower exhibited a flying fish (JExocetus volitans), to 

 which was attached a specimen of Penellm Blainvillii (Mike- 



