EPTESICUS 227 



condylobasal length of skull more than 19 mm.) ; colour of upper 

 parts a yellowish brown without noticeably contrasted light tips 

 to the hairs ; under parts essentially similar, so that there is no 

 line of demarcation along sides of neck. 



External characters. — General form robust, though less so 

 than in Nt/ctalus, the tail and legs rather short, the membranes 

 thick and opaque. Muzzle with moderately prominent glandular 

 swelHngs, its greatest width across this region Icvss than distance 

 from nostril to ear ; nostrils projecting very slightly, the concavity 

 between them not conspicuous, the orifice crescentic. Ear 

 moderately long, extending slightly more than half way from eye 

 to nostril when laid forward, its breadth when flattened about 

 equal to height above crown ; anterior border of conch abruptly 

 convex below, then nearly straight to narrowly rounded off" tip ; 

 posterior border straight or irregularly concave from just below 

 tip to level of anterior base, then convex to abrupt angle under 

 meatus marking posterior limit of small but well defined anti- 

 tragus, the anterior border of which terminates obscurely about 

 3 mm. behind angle of mouth ; inner surface of conch obscurely 

 papillose, the region behind tragus marked by about six faint 

 cross ridges ; tragus short, its height less than half that of ear 

 conch, its anterior border straight, its posterior border gently 

 convex from narrowly rounded tip to upper edge of small but 

 distinct basal lobe, its greatest width, at level of middle of anterior 

 border, equal to slightly more than half length of anterior border. 

 Wing broad, the fifth finger exceeding forearm by one-quarter 

 to one-third length of forearm, the membrane leathery and 

 opaque, though perhaps less so than in Nyctalus noctula, joining 

 leg at base of outer toe ; third and fourth metacarpals sub-equal, 

 nearly as long as forearm, fifth about 2 mm. shorter. Leg rather 

 slender, the foot less than half as long as tibia ; calcar about 

 four-fifths as long as tibia and slightly exceeding length of free 

 border of uropatagium, its keel ill-defined, its terminal lobe well 

 developed though small. Tail extending to between shoulders 

 when laid forward, the last vertebra and distal third of penulti- 

 mate vertebra free from membrane. 



Fur and colour. — Fur soft and dense, the longest hairs on 

 back about 10 mm. in length, those of underparts shorter. It 

 is strictly confined to body, only extending as a thin pubescence 

 on extreme base of membranes and along a narrow line bordering 

 under surface of forearm ; free edge of uropatagium naked. 

 Ground colour of upper parts ranging from prouts-brown to a 

 light wood-brown, the basal portion of the hairs not essentially 

 different, the tips of the hairs of back behind shoulders with 

 inconspicuous lighter (buffy) tips ; underparts slightly paler, 

 sometimes approaching ochraceous-buff, but never sufficiently 

 contrasted to produce a line of demarcation along sides of neck. 

 Muzzle, cheeks, ears and membranes blackish. The variation 

 in general colour appears to be strictly individual. 



Q 2 



