Bullek. — Note on the Bats of Nciv Zealand. 51 



tacina tuberculata, we shall have Chalinolobus morio and 

 Mystacina tuberculata as the two bats of New Zealand, both 

 of them being represented by their type specimens in the 

 National Collection. 



" In this connection it may be pointed out that Ghalinolobus 

 signifer, Dobs.,* from Queensland, is in all probability the 

 same as Ch. morio, its distinguishing character — the trans- 

 verse cutaneous lobule on the muzzle — being a mark of old 

 age, especially developed in the male sex, and not of specific 

 distinctness. A male specimen from one of the outlying 

 islands round Stewart Island, New Zealand, recently pre- 

 sented to the Museum by Mr. Charles Traill, has this lobule 

 quite as well marked as in the type of Ch. signifer, and all 

 the other fully adult specimens of Ch. morio in the Museum 

 show some trace of the same lobule, while in immature indi- 

 viduals no sign of it is present." 



Mejio. — Since communicating the above to the Society, I 

 have received an interesting letter from Mr. E. Caldwell, one 

 of the District Surveyors, which I am anxious to place on 

 record in our Transactions, because it so completely con- 

 firms the accounts which I have often received from the older 

 Maoris that both of our species of bat live in communities 

 inhabiting the cavernous interior of some dead and hollow tree, 

 congregating there in hundreds or thousands, and clinging to 

 the sides in successive tiers, packed so closely as to occupy 

 the entire surface. Most unfortunately, in the instance men- 

 tioned by Mr. Caldwell the fire took possession of the tree, 

 which was in a very dry and combustible state, and the whole 

 colony perished in the conflagration. The numbers that 

 escaped when their home v/as invaded would probably esta- 

 blish themselves in another similar situation on the same 

 wooded range, which lies, I understand, about five miles to the 

 westward of Carterton : — 



"A fact that has come under my observation in connection 

 with bats may interest you ; I therefore take the liberty of 

 sending you some particulars. I left Carterton, together with 

 two companions, for a walk into the hills at the right-hand 

 side of the Waiohine, going by way of the Belvedere Boad. 

 "We got fairly into the hills about 10 a.m., and climbed a high 

 range covered with black-birch. Getting warm, we sat down 

 on the moss to rest. Then my attention was attracted by a 

 smell of a kind I had not noticed in the bush before, and one 

 that reminded me of a flying-fox camp in Queensland. I fol- 

 lowed the smell for some distance to a large birch-tree with 

 an opening about 4ft. from the ground. I had evidently 

 traced the smell to its source, for at the opening it was fairly 



* Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist. [4], xvii., p. 289 (1S7G). 



