No.im NOTES ON CUBAN BATS— MILLER. 845 



As may be seen from the figure (Plate IX) Gundlach's des(;ription of 

 the iioseleaf and calcar of this bat was correct. Dobson's suggestion 

 that the type was mutihited" is therefore quite unwarranted. Unfor- 

 tuiiatel}'/^. sezehonil is still unrepresented in recent collections, though 

 related forms are known from the Bahamas, Jamaica, Santo Domingo, 

 and Porto Rico. No representative of P.jjocu'i has been taken outside 

 of Cul)a. 



In color the skins are so uniform that the description of one will 

 answer for the entire series. Fur everj^where grayish white, the 

 hairs of crown and back distinctly washed with clay color at tip, those 

 of the shoulders very slightly so; on under parts the wash is pale 

 cream-butf, with a suggestion of ecru-drab. P^ars and membranes 

 light brown, the outermost phalanges and neighboring portion of 

 membrane whitish. Throughout the pelage, but more particularly 

 on the back, the hairs have a silkj" texture which produces silvery 

 reflections in certain lights. 



Field notes. — Very abundant in a wet, ill- ventilated cavern on Guan- 

 aja}^ Mountain. On entering this cave, the vertical opening of 

 which, about 12 feet across, was concealed by bushes, we descended 

 about 25 feet, and were then standing some 20 feet above the lowest 

 level. The slight noise which we made disturbed the bats in the inner 

 chambers, and we could distinctly hear the rum])ling made by their 

 wings. As we proceeded this sound increased, until, when we reached 

 the inner and thickly populated chambers, it became a grand, rushing, 

 roar of thousands on thousands of wildly flying animals. To reach the 

 inner chamber it was necessary for us to descend from the first landing 

 to the real floor of the cavern, and there light our candles, for not a 

 ray of light and very little fresh air penetrated so far. From the 

 floor we worked our way over many guano-covered, damp bowlders 

 and through arches and narrow passages up to a sloping shelf, where, 

 owing to the low roof, a man could not stand upright. By this time the 

 bad air and excessive warmth was telling on us, and we were in a most 

 profuse perspiration. The bats were now thoroughly aroused, and the 

 noise of their wings was astounding. Many were darting out through 

 the passage by which we had entered. Placing our candles where they 

 would be somewhat protected and partially blocking some of the open- 

 ings with nets, we began swinging a dip net in every direction, trusting 

 to chance to secure specimens. About fifteen minutes of such work 

 usally resulted m the capture of 20 to 30 bats, nearly all of this species, 

 and also in our complete exhaustion, our clothing soaked with per- 

 spiration and filth and our lungs scarcely able to breath in the foul air. 

 By this time the bats would have passed into inner chambers and inac- 

 cessible recesses where very few could be followed and taken. Before 

 June 7, all the females were big with a single young, but after this 



aCatal. Chiropt. Brit. Mus., 1878, p. 502. 

 Proc. N. M. vol. xxvii— 03 23 



