CATALOGUE. 



31 



PHYLLOSTOMINA, Gray, Cat. Mamm. Br. Mus. 8yst. 



List, XVIII. 

 Genus MEGADERMA, Geoffr. et al. 



VESPERTILIONIS Species, Linn, et al. PHYLLOSTOMUS, 



/%., Prod. 



37. MEGADERMA LYRA, Geoffr., Ann. du Mus. XV. 

 p. 190. Desmar., Mamm. p. 124 



HAB. The Continent of India. Common throughout India, 

 BlytTi, Journ. A. 8. Beng. XI. p. 255, XIII. p. 480. 



A. William Griffith's Collection from Afghanistan. 



B. and C. Dried, not set up. 



We are indebted to Mr. Edward Blyth, Curator of the Museum of the 

 Asiatic Society of Bengal, for the following interesting and novel details 

 of this species contained in a notice of the predatory and sanguivorous 

 habits of the bats of the genus Megaderma, &c. (J. A. S.B.XI.p.255.) 



" Chancing, one evening, to observe a rather large bat enter an out- 

 house, from which there was no other egress than by the doorway, I 

 was fortunate in being able to procure a light, and thus proceed to the 

 capture of the animal. Upon finding itself pursued, it took three or 

 four turns round the apartment, when down dropped what at the 

 moment I supposed to be its young, and which I deposited in my 

 handkerchief. After a somewhat tedious chase, I then secured the 

 object of my pursuit, which proved to be a fine pregnant female of 

 Megaderma lyra. I then looked at the other bat which I had picked 

 up, and to my considerable surprise, found it to be a small Vespertilio, 

 nearly allied to the European V. pipistrellus, which is exceedingly 

 abundant, not only here but apparently throughout India, being the 

 same also, to all appearance, as a small species which my friend Dr. 

 Cantor procured in Chusan. The individual now referred to was feeble 

 from loss of blood, which it was evident the Megaderma had been suck- 

 ing from a large and still bleeding wound under and behind the ear ; 

 and the very obviously suctorial form of the mouth of the vampyre was 

 of itself sufficient to hint the strong probability of such being the case. 

 During the very short time that elapsed before I entered the outhouse, 

 it did not appear that the depredator had once alighted ; but I am satis- 

 fied that it sucked the vital current from its victim as it flew, having 

 probably seized it on the wing, and that it was seeking a quiet nook 

 where it might devour the body at leisure. I kept both animals 

 wrapped separately in my handkerchief till the next morning, when, 



