Aur. 1 MAMMALS FROM CHINA HOWELL ]3 



HIPPOSIDEROS PKATTI Thomas 



H'lppoHlderos pratti Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist, ser. 6, vol. 7, 1891, p. 527 

 (Kiathig, Szechwan, China). 



Speametus. — Thirty : 11 from Changshowkai, Hunan ; 1 skull f loni 

 Futsing, and 19 from Yenpingfu, Fukien. 



The Hunan examples are a trifle smaller than those from Fukien. 

 Two of them are considerably more sooty than any in the series from 

 farther east. It is interesting to find that this fine species occurs near 

 the coast of China. Thomas' description was evidently based upon a 

 single spirit specimen; hence, no reliable color characters could then 

 be offered, and no skull characters were given. In view of these facts 

 it is at present impossible to differentiate subspecifically these coast 

 specimens, although it is not improbable that such a course may prove 

 desirable in the future. Average measurements of 14 females and 1 

 male are: Head and bodj'^, 99.4; forearm, 88.5; shanlc, 34.3; tail, 58.3; 

 ear, 33.3; foot, 20; thumb, 11.8; length of skull, 32.6; palatal lengtli, 

 4.6; pterygoid width, 4.6; and narial width, 6.5 mm. The averages 

 of metacarpal length for several specimens are: second, 66.2; third, 

 63 : and fourth, 63 mm. 



Superficially the present series of skins might easily be mistaken 

 for sivinhoil, but further examination discloses many fundamental 

 differences. The character that at once distinguishes pratti from any 

 other bat of this genus now known is the form of the skin folds upon 

 either side of the nasal sac. In dried skins these are not so apparent, 

 but they serve to identify spirit specimens at a glance. This species 

 evidently does not belong to the mmiiger group, but both because of 

 the superficial resemblance which it bears to the latter and their 

 occurrence not only in the same locality but evidently in the same 

 caves, it seems advisable to offer comparisons. 



In describing p'^atti Thomas stated that in size it is exceeded by 

 only three members of the genus. But the type is a female that is 

 smaller than any of those at hand. These coast examples are, then, 

 close to the maximum size for the genus and are larger in head-and- 

 body length than swinhoii. In comparison with the last-mentioned. 

 pratti is slightly larger, with shorter forearm and shank, much 

 longer foot and thumb, and broader ear. In the skull the frontal 

 de<;livity is concave instead of being almost straight, the rostrum and 

 narial openings are much broader and the rostral borders diverge 

 instead of being parallel as in swinhoii. The palate is shorter, inter- 

 pterygoid width greater, width of basisphenoid less, and si3henoidal 

 foramina larger, these being conspicuous in ventral view instead of 

 almost hidden as in sirinhoii. H. pratti as represented shows indi- 

 cations of being a dichromatic species, for two of the skins are in a 

 sooty grayish phase and there is one quite as bright reddish as anv 



