NYCTALUS 243 



1878. Vesperugo Dobson, Catal. Chiropt. Brit. Mus., p. 183 (part). 



1893. Noctulinia II. Allen, Proc. U.S. National Museum, xvi, p. 30, 



June 13, 1893. 

 1897. Pterygistes Miller, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., Gth ser., sx, p. 384, 



October, 1897. 

 1899. Euvcspenigo Acloque, Faune de Prance, Mammiferes, p. 32 (part, 



included twctula, leisleri, maurus, kuhlii, pipistrellus, and 



abramus). 



1907. Pterygistes Miller, Families and Genera of Bats, p. 207, June 27, 



1907. 



1908. Nyctalus Andersen, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 9th ser., i, p. 434, 



May, 1908. 



Type species. — Nyctalus verrucosus Bowdicli. 



Geographical distribution. — Northern portion of Eastern Hemi- 

 sphere from the Azores and Madeira to Japan. 



Characters. — Dental formula as in Pipistrellus ; skull with 

 nares extending unusually far back, half way to interorbital con- 



a b c d 



Fig. 43. 

 Xi/ctahis maximus (a), N. noctula (b), N. leiilen (c), and X. azoreum (A). Jfat. size. 



striction, and with large anterior palatal emargination ; fifth finger 

 much shortened, scarcely exceeding metacarpal of fourth or third. 

 Hemarhs. — This genus is well diflerentiated from allied groups 

 by the peculiar narrowing of the wing due to the shortness of the 

 fifth finger. Three of the half dozen known species occur on the 

 continent of Europe, while a fourth inhabits the Azores. The 

 most obvious character by which the European forms are dis- 

 tinguished is the size of the skull (see fig. 43). 



KEY TO THE EUROPEAN SPECIES OP NYCTALUS. 



Condylobasal length of skull more than 17 mm. ; fore- 

 arm more than 45 mm. ; hairs of back without 

 dark bases. 

 Condylobasal length of skull 22 to 23 mm. ; forearm 



64 to 68 mm. (Southern Europe) N. maximus, 'p. 244. 



,Condylobasal length of skull 17 ■ 4 to 19 • 4 mm. ; fore- 

 arm 47 to 55 mm. (Distribution general) N. noctula, p. 245. 



Condylobasal length of skull less than 17 mm. ; fore- 

 arm less than 45 mm. ; hairs of back with notice- 

 able dark bases. 

 Condylobasal length of skull 15 to 16 mm. ; forearm 



39 to 43 mm. (Distribution general) N. leisleri, -p. 252. 



Condylobasal length of skull 13 to 14-2 mm. ; fore- 

 arm 35 to 42 mm. (Azores) N. asorcum, p. 254. 



R 2 



