Mr. R. F. Tomes on the genus Kerivoula. 487 



flight ill exposed situations, and for capturing and masticating the 

 larger species of Coleoptera ; and the latter was given as an example 

 of the light and comparatively fragile species vt^hich take their mi- 

 nute food amongst the foliage, or in other confined situations. But 

 the Whiskered Bat is by no means the most typical of the slender 

 species ; the genera Furipterus, Nataliis, and Hyoaycteris are the 

 most so, and Kerivoula immediately after them, and before Vesper- 

 tilio, in which genus, in its restricted form, the Whiskered Bat, 

 with many other species, takes its place. 



Assuming that Kerivoula is a more typical genus than Vespertilio, 

 we should expect its habits to be in accordance with its structure, 

 and to differ somewhat from those of Vespertilio ; and the following 

 (all that I can gather which appears authentic) w ill throw some light 

 on this point. In vol. xiv. of the ' Annals and Magazine of 

 Natural History ' the following notice of one of the species, K. pirta, 

 appears, from the pen of Capt. R. C. Tytler : "This elegant Bat is 

 found in thick jungle, and is only observed when disturbed, by sud- 

 denly flying out of its retreat and taking almost immediate shelter, 

 like a moth, amongst the bushes." Dr. Kelaart, after observing 

 that there are no Bats in Ceylon called '' Kerivoulha,"' says, " Kehil- 

 voula is the Cingalese name for the yellow Bats found on plantain 

 trees, — ^ KehiV in Cingalese meaning plantain, and ' Voulha^ a bat. 

 We have never obtained the Kerivoulha from any other places than 

 plantain groves, where they are generally found clinging to the 

 fruit." 



From the observations of these gentlemen it would appear that 

 the Kerivoula picta is an arboreal species, certainly resting during 

 the day among dense foliage, and most probably taking its food 

 in similar situations. It would be interesting to know if those 

 which Dr. Kelaart has seen clinging to the plantain fruit had chosen 

 that as a resting place, or were in search of insects which might feed 

 on the fruit ; for we cannot suppose that the Bats would be feeding 

 on the latter — they are too purely insectivorous in their structure. 



Of another species inhabiting South Africa, K. lanosa, Dr. A. 

 Smith says that it frequents " a wooded district stretching along the 

 sea-shore about 200 miles from Cape Town. Like other species of 

 the genus, it appears as night sets in, and may then be seen flitting 

 from spot to spot along the open spaces which exist here and there 

 in different parts of the forest." 



These short extracts comprise all that I can learn of the habits of 

 the genus under consideration ; but such as they are, they tend to 

 corroborate my previous supposition, derived from observing the ob- 

 vious similarity of the organs of flight to those of some of the 7?^?- 

 nolophi, one species of which I have observed in a state of nature. 



When we look at the considerable development of the cutaneous 

 system, and its delicate nature, and the ample organs of flight with 

 their slender digits, in the genus Kerivoula, we can readily perceive 

 that they are not well-suited for exposed flight, but that thev would 

 be admirably adapted for flitting amongst the boughs and leaves of 

 trees ; and the existence of numerous lines and papillre, probably 



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