Mammals from Nyn.<aland. 181 



"vv'liich are scattered by them all around, and are often carried 

 to other trees near by, and pieces dropped there. The natives 

 state that they eat the fruit, and call them by the same naino 

 as the true fruit-bats, i. e. ' mlemc/ I wrote this to I\Ir. Old- 

 field Thomas, who replied that no Ilipposidervs was a fiuit- 

 eater. On examination of the figs I found that practically 

 every fruit was attacked by a large weevil, the larvre of 

 which were inside the fruit. It is therefore probable that it 

 is on these weevil larva} that the Ijat is really feeding, and 

 that they only seize the fruit to tear it ai)art to get tlie larvae. 

 But in certain cases the fruit is often chewed into a pulp, as 

 I have found the remains of it in this condition everywhere 

 around the trees. Native observation is nearly always un- 

 reliable, and just seeing the bats .seizing the fruits would be 

 sufficient for them to believe that they were feeding on them. 

 While the bats are at the trees and dashing on and off the 

 branches the air is filled with their rather musical piping 

 note, and the speed at which they travel makes a great 

 ' rush ' of wings. At other times they are not at ail in 

 evidence, and I have never found them in any ' colony/ " 



14. ^lyotis hocagei, Pet. 



S. 219, 401 ; ?. 175. Cliiromo. 



c?. 125, 128, 130; ?. 126, 127, 129, 131. Tekerani, 

 lluo. 



" Inhabits hollow trees in forest." 



15. Myotis loelwitschii, Gray. 



(^. 420. Cholo. 

 ? . 28. Cliiromo. 



There seems to be no doubt that Vespertilio vemistus, Matsch., 

 is a synonym of this species. The only difference was one 

 of size. The forearm of the ty{)e of loelwitschii is given 

 in Dobson's Catalogue as measuritig 52 mm. I find that in 

 reality it measures 54. This measurement for venuslus is 

 given as 565. The two specimens now to hand measure 

 58*2 and 55 respectively, while another specimen in the 

 B.M. collection from the Transvaal measures 54. 



" Appears to be very unconimon." 



16. Pipistrellus tinnus, Pet. 



(J. 67, 72,75, 158, 157, 172, 241, 242 ; ? . 49, 50, 52, 

 66, 6S, 6y, 74, 76, 164, 183, 185, 186, 421, 431). Cliiromo. 



