Sept. 28, 1876] 



NATURE 



473 



anatomy and classification of the bats of Asia, The author 

 tells us in the work under notice, which is the summary 

 of the results of his investigation, that he was led to the 

 special study of the Chiroptera from a desire to write a 

 descriptive catalogue of the species of bats preserved in 

 the Indian Museum at Calcutta. Finding, however, that 

 but ^Q'ft species were not therein contained, the author, 

 much to the advantage of his fellow-zoologists, determined 

 to incorporate an account of all the Asiatic forms, the 

 result being that he has presented us with a complete 

 Monograph of the Asiatic Chiroptera. 



Further, there being but four species of bats found in 

 Europe which are not also Asiatic, these are also de- 

 scribed in footnotes, which still further increases the 

 value of the volume, making it, in fact, a monograph of 

 the Asiatic and European Chiroptera. 



There are a hundred woodcuts, mostly original illus- 

 trating the configuration of the head and n ; sal ap- 

 pendages of the most characteristic of the 122 species 

 described ; and the work in its letterpress and size 

 corresponds with the valuable catalogues of the zoologi- 

 cal collections in the British Museum. 



Mr. Dobson divides the order primarily into the Mega- 

 chiroptera and Microchiroptera, these sub-orders corre- 

 sponding to the Frugivorous and Insectivorous Bats as 

 usually described. The former of them are arranged in 

 two groups — the Pteropi, with the tongue short and the 

 molar teeth well developed ; and the Macroglossi, with 

 lengthy tongues and molars scarcely elevated above the 

 gums. 



With reference to the Microchiroptera two branches 

 are assumed to have diverged from the ancestral f rms 

 (Palaeochiroptera) of the order ; one of these, the Vesper- 

 tilionine Alliance, includes the Vespertilionidte, Nycte- 

 ridae, and Rhinolophidas ; the other, the Emballonurine 

 Alliance, the Emballonuridas and Phyllostomidae. This 

 important division is shown to be based upon several 

 well-marked anatomical characters, the members of the 

 Vespertilionine Alliance having the tail always contained 

 within the interfemoral membrane, which it never per- 

 forates ; the first phalanx of the middle finger extended, 

 during repose, in a line with the metacarpal bone ; the 

 premaxillary bones rudimentary, and consequently the 

 incisors small ; and the hair scales imbricated, the tips of 

 the scales being arranged in an oblique line, not termi- 

 nating in acute projections. In the members of the 

 Emballonurine Alliance, on the other hand, the tail, if 

 present, generally perforates the interfemoral membrane ; 

 the first phalanx of the middle finger is more or less 

 completely folded forwards, during repose, upon the 

 superior or inferior surface of the metacarpal bone ; the 

 premaxillae with the incisor teeth are large ; and the hair- 

 scales are arranged in a transverse series, the tips of the 

 scales nearly always terminating in acute projections. 



The character of the hair-scales is one which Mr. Dobson 

 has investigated with special care, and he has submitted his 

 specimens — from more than forty genera — to the inspec- 

 tion of Dr. J. D. Macdonald, who has confirmed his 

 generalisation, except with reference to Miniopterus and 

 Mystacina, the one otherwise recognisable as an inter- 

 mediate form, and the other quite peculiar as far as its 

 hair is concerned. 



Although the Fruit-bats are included in a separate sub- 



order, in other words, though they are assumed to have 

 developed *•' from a group of Palseochiroptera distinct from 

 that from which the Vespertilionine and Emballonurine 

 alliances have sprung," nevertheless, Mr. Dobson con- 

 siders that they have affinities with that section of the 

 latter group from which the Emballonuridae are derived 

 This we cannot quite understand. May not the retention 

 of a second index phalanx in Rliinopoma, and of well- 

 developed incisors in the Phyllostomidae be but a want of 

 divergence from the Palaeochiropterous type in the branch 

 on which they are placed ? a similar absence of modifica- 

 tion in the independently-developed Pteropinae being fol- 

 lowed by a similar result as far as structure is concerned. 

 This would, however, have no effect upon the indepen- 

 dence of the pedegree-lines of the two groups, and would 

 not make them blend in any parts of their course. 



Mr. Dobson lays stress, in his definition of the sub- 

 family Phyllorhininae on the union of the ilio-pectineal 

 spine with the antero-inferior surface of the ilium, forming 

 a large preacetabular foramen. This unique arrangement, 

 discovered by Mr. Dobson himself, is one which has 

 scarcely attracted the attention of osteologists to the 

 extent which it deserves. 



The descriptions of the species are detailed and extremely 

 precise ; the synonomy is full, at the same time that the 

 tables of measurements as well as those of specific dis- 

 tinctions will be found invaluable. The work, as a whole, 

 is one of the most important recent additions to zoologi- 

 cal literature. 



LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 



[ The Editor does not hold himself responsible for opinions expressed 

 by his correspondents. Neither can he undertake to return, 

 or to correspond with the writers of, rejected manuscripts. 

 No notice is taken of anonymous communications.^ 



Sun-Spots suspected to be Identical with an Inter- 

 Mercurial Planet 



1875, Feb. 22^1 o^. — One very minute spot was seen near the 

 first limb. Not seen afterwards (on Feb. 23'* oi*), 

 others seen. 



1875, Aug. 3o<* i^^. — A circular spot of intense blackness was 

 seen near the second limb. 



1875, Aug. 30'! 23I1. — Not seen, perhaps from clouds ; other 



spots seen. 



1876, March 7^^ o^* 30'". — After a careful search only one very 



small spot was seen. This was without penumbra, but 

 surrounded by bright faculas (the drawing represents it 

 as circular). 



Transits of the Spot and the Limbs of the Sun. 

 h. m. s. 



© I '^ 23 29 477 



Spot 29 59-0 



©2^ 31 57-8 Cloudy afterwards. 



Not visible March ^^ <^ 30"°, though another spot appeared 

 in quite another part of the sun. 



Observations of the spots on the disk of the sun are made 

 regularly every day (excepting Sundays) when the sky is clear 

 by Mr. F. Bellamy, and the above are notes which were made 

 by him at the times of observation. Robert Main 



RadclifTe Observatory, Oxford 



Erratum in Mr. Wallace's Address 



Please allow me to point out an error in mj' address as given 

 in your issue of September 7 (vol. xiv. p. 407). Instead of 

 '^Pelargonium of Kerguelen's Land" read '■'Pelargonium of 

 Tristan d'Acunha." This oversight was pointed out to me bv 

 Dr. Hooker in time to be corrected in the " Address " as pub 

 lished by the Association. Alfred R. Wallacb 



