232 On a new Species of Taphozous. 



XXX. — Description of a new Species of Taphozous from 

 Labuan. By G. E. Dobson, M.A., M.B., F.L.S., &c. 



Taphozous affinis, n. sp. 



Ears shorter than the head, inner margin of the ear-conch 

 not papillate ; tragus rather short, almost quite circular 

 above, outer surface concave. Lower lip with a deep narrow 

 groove in the centre of its upper surface. Male with a deep 

 gular sac as large as in T. saccolaimus ; female with a rudi- 

 mentary sac, the margins of the sac alone developed. 



No radio-metacarpal pouch. Wings from the ankles. 



Fur above black, the bases of the hairs white; beneath 

 wholly pure silky white, as in Vesperugo Temminckii. The 

 integument of the back is white ; the antebrachial and inter- 

 femoral membranes, and that portion of the wing-membrane 

 between the humerus and the leg, black ; the wing-membrane 

 between the forearm and third finger is white, while that 

 portion between the third and first fingers is black, mottled 

 with white along the third finger; beneath, the wing-membrane 

 is pure white from the sides of the body outwards as far as 

 the third finger, beyond which it is coloured as the corre- 

 sponding part above. 



Measurements of an adult female, the largest of four speci- 

 mens preserved in alcohol : — length, head and body 3*4 inches ; 

 tail 1*1 ; head 1*15; ear 0*9; tragus 0*25; forearm 2*9 ; 

 thumb 0*5; second finger — metacarpal 2*8, first phalange 1*2, 

 second phalange 1*2 ; fourth finger 2*5; tibia 1*0; foot and 

 claws 0*6. 



Hab. Labuan. The four specimens referred to above were 

 taken from a hole in a tree in the old forest, Labuan. Type 

 in the collection of the British Museum. 



This species resembles T. saccolaimus very closely in 

 general structure and size, but may be distinguished by the 

 margins of the gular pouch in the female being alone developed, 

 whereas in T. saccolaimus the female has a distinct gular 

 pouch, though smaller than in the male. The colour of 

 the fur is also very different ; but this character is too 

 variable in Chiroptera to depend upon alone as a specific 

 difference. 



