62 FIELD MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY ZOOLOGY, VOL. X. 



Blarina meridensis Thomas. Merida Short-tailed Shrew. 



Sixteen specimens, Paramo de Tama, head of Tachira River, Vene- 

 zuela and Colombia. 



The locality from which this series comes lies between Bogota and 

 Merida, type localities respectively of the two known South American 

 species of Blarina. The difference between the two forms is mainly 

 of size and our specimens agree in that respect with meridensis. A 

 specimen submitted to Mr. Oldfield Thomas is pronounced by him to 

 be typical of that species. 



Shrews can scarcely be called abundant in this locality since a line 

 of over 100 traps seldom yielded more than one or two in a single night. 

 Their habits apparently are similar to those of their northern relatives 

 and like them they readily take oatmeal bait in traps set in moist places 

 in the heavy woods or along trickling streams. Average flesh measure- 

 ments of ten adults are: Total length 123.7 (120-129); tail vertebrae 

 36.3 (35-3 8 ); nin(i foot ( c - U J 5-4 (i5~ l6 )- 



Molossus crassicaudatus Geoffrey. Lesser Dusky Molossus. 



Eleven specimens, Maracaibo, March 23-29. 



Two of these were caught fluttering about a lighted room at night 

 and the others were taken from the hollow pillars surrounding the 

 patio of the American consulate. The species is excessively abundant 

 in the city of Maracaibo in which every suitable building harbors it 

 in numbers. In walking the streets towards evening, or frequently 

 during the day, one hears the wheezing cries of many bats from concealed 

 cavities under eaves and cornices. 



Dr. G. M. Allen, who has recently elucidated the status of this 

 species, has kindly made critical examination of specimens from our 

 series. Measurements of forearms of 10 alcoholic specimens average 

 39.3 (38-40.5) mm. 



Noctilio albi venter minor Osgood. Lesser Noctilio. 



Noctilio minor Osgood, Field Mus. Pub. No. 149, Zool. Ser. X, p. 

 30, Oct. 20, 1910. 



Two specimens (skins), El Panorama, Rio Aurare, Jan. 18. 



A slight difference in size between these two specimens, both of 

 which are males, and the fact that both are slightly larger than the 

 type of N. minor, which is a female, makes it more than likely that 

 N. minor is only subspecifically separable from N. albiventer. The 

 color also is variable, the upper parts in one being bright cinnamon 



