AMERICAN BATS — HANDLE Y 105 



Group Pipistrelliiii 

 Genera: Histiotus 

 Laephotis 

 Group Nycticeini 



Genus : Otonycteris 

 Subfamily Nyctophilinae 



Genera: Nyctophilus 

 Pharotis 

 Antrozous 



Tate (1942, p. 229) supposed the assemblage of big-eared bats of 

 the group Myotini to be simply a specialized derivative of the Myotis 

 stock, presenting an odd combination of primitive and specialized 

 characters, but not being sufficiently differentiated to warrant the 

 erection of a special category. 



Generic nomenclature: Initially confused with the exclusively 

 South American genus Histiotus (J. Allen, 1891, p. 195), the bat 

 H. maculatum was soon recognized as the representative of a distinct 

 genus, Euderma (H. Allen, 1892, p. 467). Subsequently, the validity 

 of Euderma has not been questioned. 



The status of the names Idionycteris, Plecotus, and Corynorhinus 

 has been less clear. Idionycteris has remained so little known since 

 its description by Anthony in 1923 that there has been no speculation 

 on its systematic position beyond Anthony's supposition that its 

 nearest relative is Plecotus auritus. The nomenclatm'al history of 

 the Eurasian Plecotus has been one of stability. Subsequent to the 

 recognition of the genus in 1818 by E. Geoff roy Saint-Hilaire, the 

 big-eared vespertilionines of Europe and temperate Asia have been 

 recognized consistently by the name Plecotus. 



No such stability characterizes the nomenclatural history of the 

 bats to which the name Corynorhinus has been applied. Rafinesque 

 used Vespertilio for the first named form in 1818. Later authors 

 (Lesson, 1827; LeConte, 1831; Cooper, 1837) discerned a likeness 

 between European and American big-eared bats and used the name 

 Plecotus for both gi-oups. Following this was a brief period of belief 

 that the American big-eared bats and Eurasian barbastelles were 

 related, and the name Synotis was used for both (Wagner, 1855; 

 H. Allen, 1864) . H. Allen gave the American big-eared vespertilionines 

 independent generic status for the first time in 1865 with the name 

 Corynorhinus. This position was confirmed by Miller (1897, 1907) 

 and more recently by Tate (1942). In the 75 years following its 

 conception, the name Corynorhinus has been in almost universal usage 

 for the American forms exclusive of Euderma. A major exception 

 was Dobson's (1878) conclusion that Corynorhinus is a synonym of 

 Plecotus. Beginning with Simpson (1945), there has been a new 

 trend away from the independent use of the name Corynorhinus and 



