SCOTOPIITLUS. 27 



SCOTOPHILUS, Leach. 



Scotophihis, Leach, Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. XIII, 1822, 71. (Type S. Tcuhlii.) 

 Vesperus, Keyseklino & Blasics, Wirbel-Thiere Europas, 1840, 49. 

 Vesperiign, Keyserling & Blasics, Wirbel-Thiere Europas, 1840, 45. 



Molars less than f ; head flat, broad ; lips swollen ; tragus 

 bluntish ; internal basal lobe of ear rounded, obtuse. 



Ficr. 23. 



ScotopUilus caluliueusis. 



The genus Scotophilus is closely allied to Vespertilio and 

 differs chiefly from it in the heaviness of its wing membranes, and 

 in the thick leathery ear and tragus, which possess a tendency 

 to develop in width rather than in height. The distinction 

 between these genera is really difficult to describe, though readily 

 recognizable upon observation. The difference between their 

 facial expression might be compared to that between a mastiff 

 and terrier dog : the former is massive with broad head, pendulous 

 lips and wide ears ; the latter is more slender, with a narrower 

 face and delicate and upright ears. 



The type of the genus Scotophilus of Leach is his S. kuhlii, 

 described without reference to any previous author, and without 

 indication of habitat. It is impossible to say, therefore, whether 

 he refers to the Vespertilio kuhlii of batterer (1819), a European 

 species, or whether he applied the name to a second and different 

 species. As however the diagnosis appears not incongruous with 

 the European kuhlii, and as this was probably known to him at 

 the time, we may adopt the foi'mer supposition. This species 

 falls in the genus Vesperugo of Keyserling & Blasius. 



It is not a little remarkable that the paper of Leach, in which 



