70 Allen — Notes on Bahama Bats. 



terranean propensities, and says that when living in houses, these bats 

 invariably take up their abode in the cellar. We were interested to ob- 

 serve that none of these bats at the fort appeared to fly out into the light 

 of day, but a number, on the contrary, retreated still farther underground 

 after we had disturbed them. For when we had finished our examina- 

 tion our guide lowered his bucket into a well cut 103 feet deep in one of 

 the underground chambers, and in so doing disturljed a lunuber of the 

 bats which had taken refuge at some depth iu the shaft of the well. They 

 emerged singly from the narrow mouth of the shaft as the bucket pro- 

 gressed downward. Several of these bats which we had taken alive were 

 carried to our hotel. At frequent intervals tliey uttered a short sharp trill, 

 very similar to the sound produced by rapidly running up a squeaky cur- 

 tain-roller. 



The young bats were much darker than the adults, almost a clove-brown 

 on the back, and their faces were almost without hair. 



Specimens. — 7 adult females and 1 young male (skins) ; 2 adult females, 

 (5 young males, and 2 young females (alcoholic). 



Phyllonycteris planifrons Miller. 



Ptiyllonycteris plamfrons Miller. Proc. Biol. Soc, Washington, vol. 13, p. 

 34, May 2S), 1899. 



This is a common species in the Bahamas. It was described five years 

 ago by Mr. Miller on the strength of 124 specimens all from the same lime- 

 stone cave a few miles from Nassau, New" Providence. In addition to the 

 colony at Israel's Point, Great Abaco. mentioned in connection with the 

 colony of Chilonntalus we also visited a much larger one at Hurricane 

 Hole, on the northeastern coast of Great Abaco. Here is a series of large 

 open caves in a limestone bluff' some 50 feet high or more. A small pas- 

 sage leads from the far end of one of these caves, and by means of -this ac- 

 cess is gained to a higb vaulted chamber. A second and smaller chamber 

 leads off from the first after turning a right angle. No ray of light pene- 

 trates these inner caverns. E\erywhere our lantern disclosed hundreds 

 of the Phyllonyderis clinging singly or in clusters to the walls and ceiling 

 of the cave, and they were apparently the only species inhabiting it. I 

 captured and examined a number of the bats. There were adults of both 

 sexes in the cave, and many of the females had each a single young one 

 still suckling, though about losing the last of the milk teeth. These young 

 bats were very dark clove brown above becoming light drab below. A 

 number of specimens were taken which showed various transitional stages 

 of pelage from that of the young to a more mature stage having a curious 

 patchy mixture of clove brown and vinaceous cinnamon above and drab 

 beneath. 



Tiie colony at Marsh Harbor, visited July 20, also consisted of both 

 sexes, but of the 18 specimens taken, only 2 were females. All the bats 

 in this colony seemed to be adults. 



