ALLEN: MAMMALS OF THE WEST INDIES. 249 



tooth row, excluding incisors, 7 (7.5). The actual difference indi- 

 cated by these measurements does not seem great, and still less is 

 this the case when they are compared with those of M. crassicaudatus. 

 They are, however, sufficient to produce a difference in the relative 

 bulk that is very striking to the eye; so that where the two species 

 (obscurus and crassicaudatus) occur together, as in Dominica, they 

 may readily be differentiated by this means alone. No doubt skins 

 would show specific color differences, but I have had none from the 

 West Indies. 



I am unable to detect any important characters separating the 

 Jamaican and Lesser Antillean representatives of Molossus obscurus 

 from M. verrilli of San Domingo, and therefore use the latter name in 

 a subspecific sense to include them all provisionally at least. In 

 addition to the series from Jamaica, the Museum of Comparative 

 Zoology has specimens from Sta. Lucia and Dominica. It doubtless 

 occurs also on the other Lesser Antilles and Porto Rico; but I have 

 examined no specimens, and the published records seem uncertain. 

 Dobson (1878), however, records obscurus from St. Thomas, and 

 Feilden (1890) notes it from Barbados. The statement of the latter, 

 that there is a great difference in the size of individuals as seen on the 

 wing, probably indicates that both crassicaudatus and the present 

 form occur there. 



Molossus crassicaudatus E. Geoffroy. 



Molossus crassicaudatus E. Geoffroy, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 

 1805, 6, p. 156. 



This small, dark-colored Molossus is common in Grenada, and lives 

 in colonies underneath the roofs of houses. Buildings covered with 

 galvanized iron sheeting are especially favored by it since the small 

 holes left open where the convexities of the sheeting meet the rafters 

 afford ready ingress to the spaces between ceiling and roofing. A large 

 colony inhabited the roof of a cottage at St. George's, and here a small 

 series was easily obtained by placing a^dipnet over one of the openings. 

 The owner of the house told us that the bats were active all night, 

 constantly coming and going. Their strong odor and sharp chattering 

 notes render their presence rather obnoxious. They commence 

 flying while it is still light, even before the sun has quite disappeared. 

 Their flight is high and rapid, and on several occasions towards even- 

 ing we saw them in some numbers hawking over a hill at the same time 



