328 bulletin: museum of comparative zoology. 



lum cusp externally. The two teeth are placed in a line nearly at 

 right angles to the long axis of the skull. Canine with an antero- 

 internal cingulum cusp. Crowns of the lower incisors trifid, slightly 

 overlapping; first lower premolar about three fourths the length of 

 the second. 



Remarks. — This white-winged bat does not seem referable to any 

 of the described species. It is possibly related to E. tenuipinnis of 

 West Africa, but is larger, paler, the tail is entirely included in the 

 membrane, and the tragus has two minute pointed lobules. It is 

 equally distinct from E. rendalli (Thomas) from Gambia, which also 

 has white membranes. The latter has large hind-foot pads, the 

 calcar ends in a projecting point, and there is a penis bone present, 

 which E. phasma does not have. The upper incisors are also different, 

 being provided with two cusps in rendalli. 



This bat was first noticed on the Guaso Nyiro at its junction with 

 the stream from Meru, in the arid country to the northwest of Mt. 

 Kenia. Here it was seen but once, when at dusk a single individual, 

 conspicuous for its white coloration, was observed flying about over 

 the river in company with numbers of small dark bats, probably E. 

 minutus somalicus. A few miles farther up the Meru River (above 

 the ivory-nut palm region) it was much commoner. At our camp by 

 the side of this small stream numbers were observed and several were 

 shot in the early evening as they flew past following the course of the 

 rivulet, which here flows through a sun-baked plain with few trees 

 except along the water course. Its flight is very steady, direct and 

 rather slow, so that it was easily shot. In the gathering dusk, how- 

 ever, the white wing membranes were almost invisible against the sky, 

 thus producing a curious ghostly effect, as only the body and forearms 

 could be clearlv seen. 



Nycticeius africanus, sp. nov. 



Type. — Skin and skull, male, no. 8272, M. C. Z., collected August 11, 

 1909, on the Meru River, British East Africa, by Glover M. Allen. 



General characters. — A typical Nycticeius, slightly smaller and 

 much paler than the N. humeralis of the southeastern United States, 

 with shorter closer fur. Postcalcaneal lobe well developed. 



Description. — Fur of the upper surface of head and body, short and 

 close, about 4 mm. long on the lower part of the back, of a uniform 

 pale wood-brown quite to the bases of the hairs; below cream-buff 



