1861.] MR. R. F. TOMES ON BATS FROM S. W. AFRICA. 31 



genus of fishes give birth to their young ahve. An incision made 

 in the abdomen of the one under consideration estabUshed the fact ; 

 for three young ones were found within it, and all of them in different 

 stages of development. The first we removed was fully developed in 

 all its parts, but still had the placenta attached to its belly, but alto- 

 gether detached from the parent, and evidently in condition to be 

 discharged from the parent in a couple of days. The second was 

 intermediate in its development to the one just described and the 

 third. In the latter the abdominal suture was not yet closed, neither 

 was the black transverse band which divides into two parts the cornea 

 and iris of the eyes of this genus (which band was perfect in the first- 

 mentioned young one, and not entirely perfect in the second) at all 

 developed. I think this observation fully establishes the entirely 

 viviparous (not ovo-viviparous as most writers have it) nature of the 

 genus. Does not also the singular fact of the young being found in 

 intermediate stages of development within the parent present a strange 

 anomaly in the history of viviparous reproduction — an undeniable 

 argument against the generally accepted opinion of the laws which 

 are supposed to govern the reproduction of species in animal life? 

 Of the above fact I desire no further evidence. Whether it is of that 

 importance to the scientific world which my imperfect relation above 

 would imply, I leave for others, more deeply versed in such investi- 

 gations, to decide." 



The following papers were read ; — 



1. Notes on a Collection of Bats made by Mr. Andersson 

 IN THE Damara Country, South-western Africa, with 

 Notices of some other African Species. By Robert 

 F. Tomes, Corr, Memb. Zool. Soc. 



Through the kindness of J. H. Gurney, Esq., M.P., I have been 

 enabled to examine a very interesting, though not very extensive, 

 collection of Bats, made by Mr. Andersson in South-western Africa 

 during the year 1859. It contains three new species ; and I propose, 

 when describing them, to add notices of some others previously col- 

 lected by Mr. Andersson at Lake Ngama, and of one or two species 

 ■which, although already well known, may, from their affinity with 

 some of those in the present collection, be advantageously introduced 

 here. To prevent any confusion regarding the species forming the 

 collection recently received from Mr. Andersson, they may be men- 

 tioned here, as follows : — Kerivoula argentata, n. s., Nijcticejus 

 planirostris, Peters, Scotophilus minutus, Temm., S. rusticus, n. s., 

 and S. variegatus, n. s. 



The remaining species mentioned in this paper are — Scotophilus 

 capensis, from the Cape of Good Hope, collected by M. Verreaux, 

 Miniopteris schreibersii and Molossus limhatus, both collected by 

 Mr. Andersson at Lake Ngama, and Scotophilus Imhlii, collected in 

 Algeria by the Rev. H. B. Tristram. 



