221 



'branches,' or 'stodcs,' or whatever else they may be called, why 

 not ti-y to express it in our nomenclature of the forms, by separating 

 all the forms into two groups ('species'), sphinx and brachyotis'i' 

 But if that is admitted, then angulatus )mist come under brachyotis, 

 or else we cannot draw a line between the two species. 



" These are some oi the considerations that guided me when 

 working out this section of the genus Cynopeterus. Of course, if a 

 form really does exist, in the north of the Malay Peninsula, in the 

 Islands oif south-east Siam, and possibly somewhere else, which 

 possesses the skull of angalatas, but the ears of spliinx then an 

 entirely new and unsuspected element is introduced into tlie genus. 

 But unless and until the existence of such a form is propei-ly 

 established I should think it rather premature to discuss its probable 

 effect on our arrangement." Knud Andersen. 



The above remai-ks were made by Dr. Andersen in the course of 

 a report on some Indo-Chinese fruit-bats but as they apply to 

 material dealt witli in tiiis Journal and can well stand by themselves 

 I have extracted them for publication here. As it is possible, from 

 the criticism of our suggestion, that Mr. Robinson and I did not 

 make ourselves clear, a few comments may not be out of place. 



Dr. Andersen is quite right in attempting to draw a clear line 

 between the species if possible (and in our notes we indicated no 

 desire to "lump" forms of sphinx and brachyotis together). The 

 differential characters he gave in so doing were, for the former, 

 " ears long, 18-20.5 mm. from orifices ; general size medium or large ; 

 forearm 66-83 mm." and for the latter " ears short, 18-18 mm. from 

 orifice ; general size small or medium ; forearm 54.5-72 mm." while 

 it now appears that the size of the ears is the primax'y feature, 

 others being of somewhat less importance. 



Dr. Andersen has suggested that our method of measuring is 

 different from his, but we have used, as a matter of fact, that given 

 above by him. It is the only measurement of the outer external 

 side of the ear that can be taken with any uniformity and is so 

 obvious that it suggests itself to every collector. The only possible 

 alternative is the length of the inner external side from tip to base 

 on the crown — quite another thing and not to be confused with the 

 former. 



As we have obtained a number of bats (mgidatus, Miller) from 

 the Malay Peninsula and elsewhere with ears from 18.5 to 21 mm. 

 in length, as in the type series, it seemed to us that it would have 

 been more logical on Dr. Andersen's own classification (and not on 

 sentimental grounds), to regard that form as a small race of sphinix 

 rather than a lai'ge one of brachyotis with which species it otherwise 

 closely agi'ees : we had no desire to destroy the dividing line or to 

 unite all the various forms ; all we suggested was tlie ti-ansfer of 

 one particular form from one side to the other. 



