Mr. R. F. Tomes on the species of Lasiurus. 217 



sublaterally. The end of the nose, between the nostrils, is somewhat 

 emarginate. The ears are short, ovoid, and very much rounded at 

 their tips, which are directed outwards. Towards the base of the 

 front edge of the ear is a lobular projection, occasioned by a notch in 

 the margin immediately under it, quite at the base of the ear, and 

 contiguous to the tragus. The outer margin is continued forward 

 along the side of the face toward the angle of the mouth, and ends 

 near to it, in the form of a moderately developed lobe. The tragus 

 is narrow at its base, from which it expands evenly and rather ra- 

 pidly for half its length, where, making a conspicuous angle, it 

 slopes inwards, and comes to a narrow but rounded point, its inner 

 margin all the time maintaining a nearly straight line, excepting near 

 the tip, where it has a decided inward curvature. The outer mar- 

 ginal angle, already mentioned, is something more than a simple 

 angle, being, in fact, a rounded projection from the crooked edge of 

 the tragus. 



The wing-membranes extend to two-thirds of the distance be- 

 tween the extremity of the tibia and the base of the toes. 



The face is more or less covered with hair on all parts, the end 

 of the nose and the margins of the lips only being naked. On the 

 forehead the fur is very thick, and approaches nearly to the end of 

 the nose. Immediately in front of the eye is a tuft of stiff hairs, 

 and on the upper lip is a moustache of softer ones. The inner sur- 

 faces of the ears are sparingly suffused with very fine short hairs, as 

 are also their outer margins. 



The interfemoral membrane is densely hairy on the whole of its 

 upper surface, and the same peculiarity extends to the upper sur- 

 face of the feet. The fur of the back also extends on to the mem- 

 branes of the wings, over and beyond the tibia, but is there bounded 

 by a well-defined line. It differs in this respect from the fur of the 

 under surface, where it is seen to extend along the membrane be- 

 neath the fore-arm, somewhat irregularly scattered, and having the 

 appearance of yellow down. Towards the wrist it becomes thicker, 

 and is more especially so about the base of the fourth finger. 'This 

 finger is also seen to be fringed with fine soft hairs at its base, when 

 viewed from above ; and a small patch of hair is visible at the base 

 of the thumb. 



Everywhere the fur is soft in texture, rather long, and tolerably 

 thick. That which extends on to the under surface of the mem- 

 branes is unicoloured, and of a yellowish buff colour. A narrow 

 stripe of fur, bounding that of the back on each side, is frequently 

 of the same colour. But the colour of the body varies so much, 

 that it appears desirable to give a short description of each of the 

 extreme varieties, observing, at the same time, that every interme- 

 diate state may be met with. 



Var. 1 . Fur of the back of four colours : dark near to the skin, 

 succeeded by yellowish brown, which is again succeeded by pale 

 rust colour, and finally tipped with white. 



Beneath, the fur is nearly similar, excepting that which is con- 



