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XVI. On certain Nycteribiid.-i!, v-iih descriptions of tivo 

 new species from Formosa. By Hugh Scott, B.A. 

 (Cantab.). Communicated hy Dr. David Sharp, 

 M.A., F.R.S. 



[l?ead June 3, 190S.] 



Plate XVIII. 



In dealing with these species of Nycteribiida3, I wish to 

 express my thanks to Dr. P. Speiser, the well-known 

 avithority on this family of insects, for kindly examining 

 specimens of the forms here described, and for giving me 

 mnch guidance. Of the first 3 species — Pcnicillidict 

 jenynsi, Nyctcrihia insolUa and N. sauteri — all the speci- 

 mens which I have seen were sent from Formosa, together 

 with the bats from which they had been taken. Both 

 parasites and hosts are in the Cambridge University 

 Museum of Zoology, which is indebted for them to the 

 enterprising naturalist, Herr H. Sauter. The four bats on 

 which the Nycteribiids were found belong to a very 

 widely distributed form, Miniopterus schreihersii, Natterer.* 

 The labels Avith all the specimens record the same date 

 and locality, Tainau, Formosa, 7, X, 1906. The bats bore 

 labels with the numbers 5080, 5081, 5083, 5085; the 

 Nycteribiids were sent in spirit in 4 tubes, with 4 labels 

 bearing corresponding numbers. Thus all the parasites 

 contained in a single tube were evidently found on a 

 single bat-individual. 



An interesting fact can then be noted with regard to the 

 natural history of the Nycteribiids. It is that 3 distinct 

 species of Nycteribiidpe, belonging to 2 genera, were found 

 on four individuals of the same species of bat : while in 

 three cases, 2 distinct genera of the parasites were found 

 on a single individual of the host. Thus : — 



* One of these specimens was seen several months ago, at thn 

 British Museum of Natural History, by Dr. K. Andersen of 

 Copenhagen. Dr. Andersen stated that it was one of the forms at 

 present known as M. schreihersii, but tliat that species will probably 

 have to be divided into several species. 



trans, ent. soc. lond. ] 908. — part ii. (sept.) 



