298 BATS. 



foui- in America, but tlie majority are restricted to Africa south of the Sahai-a 

 and Madagascai'. The Indian species are generally found during the day in caverns 

 and old buildings, countless myriads inhabiting the limestone caves of Phagat, 30 

 miles from iloulmein, in Burma. And it is probable that the habits of most of the 

 other species are very similar. 



Writing from Jamaica of the habits of the Brazilian wrinkled-lipped species 

 {N. hrasiliensis), Mr. W. Osburn observes : "Vast numbei-s of these little bats inhabit 

 the shingled roof of my house. ... I have often observed them during the da\% 

 exactly as GoMsmith's line expresses : ' lazy bats in drowsy clusters cling ' ; 

 for, what seems sui-prising, notwithstanding the heat of the situation, shingles 

 exposed to the sun (and it was disagreeablj^ hot and confined where I stood, twelve 

 or fifteen feet below), the bats clung in complete clustei-s. I counted fourteen little 

 heads in a mass about the size of a turnip. But they are not all asleep : now and 

 then a wing is .sti-etched out with drowsy enjoyment : and the luxurj- King James 

 thought too great for subjects, and which ought to be reserved for kings, is largely 

 indulged in by these bats. Fii-st one and then another wakes up, and withdrawing 

 one leg, and leaving himself suspended by the other alone, adroitly uses the foot at 

 liberty as a comb, with a rapid eflfective movement dressing the fur of the under- 

 parts and head — an action far from ungraceful. The foot is then cleaned quickly 

 with the teeth or tong-ue, and restored to its first use. Then the other leg does duty. 

 Perhaps the hairs with which the foot is set may aid to this end. I often have 

 seen them do this in confinement, and probabl}^ the numerous bat-flies with which 

 they are infested may be the cause of extra dressing." 



The New Zealaxd Bat. 

 Genus ^lysfacoj^s. 



That New Zealand, witli its far more favourable climate for these animals than 

 the British Isles, shouli.l possess only two species of bats is a very remarkable 

 fact. One of these (CJialinolohus tuherculatus), belonging to a genus closely allied 

 to Vesperugo (p. 273), is common to New Zealand and Australia : while the second 

 is peculiar to the colony, and represents a distinct and aberrant group of the family 

 under consideration. 



The New Zealand bat (Mystncops tuherculatiis) diffei-s from the other membei-s of 

 the family EmhaHonurida' in that the third or middle finger of the wing is pro- 

 •\aded ^\•ith three distinct bony joints : of which the first, when at rest, is folded 

 back beneath, instead of above, its supporting metacarpal bone. Moreover, while 

 the greater part of the wing-membranes is very thin, the portion along the sides 

 of the body and the lower moieties of the limbs is much thickened ; beneath this 

 thickened portion the i-emaining parts of tlie wings lie folded away as if in a 

 case : and in this condition this species is better adapted for a crawling or 

 climbing life than any other member of the oi'der. There are other peculiarities 

 adapted to aid in climbing, connected witli the thumb, feet, and legs. The length 

 of the head and body is 2-\ inches ; and the general colour of the upper-parts is 

 brown, though beneath they are paler. Even the fur of this bat can, imder the 



