722 JOURNAL, BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, Vol. XII, 



been lumped togetlier, and these are questions which can only be 

 set! led by the comparison of series of s^pecimens from many different 

 localities. 



P.ahramus^ as defined by Blanford, is admittedly the commonest, and 

 most generally distributed, of all the Pipistrelles ; and the series of 

 specimens (which I identify as P. alramus) represents a species, which 

 is undoubtedly the commonest of the Pipistrelles throughout the two 

 districts embraced by this pa})er. I have taken it wherever 1 have 

 collected throughout our area. 



I believe that Blanford is mistaken in styling it " especially a house- 

 bat." In my experience that title undoubtedly belongs to 7\ ce^loiikus. 

 \Vhile frequenting the neighbourhood of human habitations, as well as 

 jun^^lo.-!, P. ahramus roosts almost invariably in trees, if they are 

 available. The native boys, who constantly searched the roofs of their 

 houses at Bandra, and brought me the bats they found roosting there, 

 invariably brought me P. cei/lonicus, and never P. ahramus^ and yet I 

 shot many more of the latter than of the former in the immediate 

 neighbourhood of these same houses. 



Piplstrellus ynimics, n. sj). 



Among the specimens of P. ahnvnus collected by me, Mr. Thomas 

 called my attention to a certain number of evidently adult but very 

 small individuals. 



In general shape these specimens are exactly like P. ahramus, and 

 after careful examination I have been unable to find a single charac- 

 teristic difference between them except size. 



From series of the two s]:)ecics individuals can be picked out which 

 closely resemble each other in coloration, but in P. ahramvs there is 

 always a suggestion of red or brown, which is absent in P. mimus, the 

 colour of which is " consequently colder, the bases of the hairs in 

 P. mimus are black, while the tips are slate -coloured — darker or lighter 

 in different individuals. The fur in P. laimus is also somewhat longer 

 and looser, i e., less sleek, than in P. ahramus. (Plate, fig. 3.) 



The dentition is of the same tjpe as in P. ahramus. In the latter the 

 inner and outer incisor do not touch and are stouter, while in P. mimus 

 they are close together, and more linear ; but the dift'erenco is small. 

 (Plato, fig. 3a.) 



