32 MR. R. F. TOMES ON BATS FROM S. W. AFRICA. [Jan. 22, 



Kerivodla argentata, n. s. 



In the Proceedings of this Society for 1858 I described at some 

 length the pecnharities of the present group of Bats, giving my rea- 

 sons for regarding these peculiarities as generic. All that was stated 

 respecting the several species then enumerated may with equal exact- 

 ness be said of the present one ; and I may add that I have since 

 that time again examined the fine collection of Bats in the Leyden 

 Museum, and that, with the exception of identifying my specimens 

 of K. jiftpiUosa with the Vespertilio jmpillosus of M. Temminck, and 

 examining a specimen of my K. cerosa, labelled "Gorontalo," I saw 

 nothing which in any way either confirmed or modified my previous 

 opinions of the genus. 



• The present species is of larger size than either of the African 

 species before described, fully equal in size to the K. papillosa, and 

 in the colour of its fur it differs from all the other species. 



Compared with the African species which it most nearly re- 

 sembles, it possesses some of the characters of both K. lanosa and 

 K, cerosa. 



The top of the head is elevated in about the same degree as in K. 

 cerosa; and it greatly resembles this species in the shape of the muzzle 

 and the distribution of the hair on the face ; but in the shape of the 

 ears it approaches more nearly to K. lanosa, differing from it only in 

 having the inner rounded margin toward the top of the ears more 

 promment even than in that species. The tragus is remarkably 

 narrow, and tapers evenly to an exceedingly acute point ; near the 

 bottom of its outer edge is a narrow notch, or rather slit, and below 

 it a small and pointed process, which is placed, in fact, immediately 

 above what may be called the foot-stalk or narrow root of the tragus. 

 Inside the ear, and vertically beneath the tragus, is a well-defined 

 fleshy tubercle, of a flattened form, and about one line in length. 



In the quantity and distribution of the fur on the membranes, 

 this species is intermediate between K. lanosa and K. cerosa, but it 

 has fewer adpressed hairs on the wings than either. The fur of the 

 back extends on to the membranes of the flanks a little, and on to 

 the interfemoral membrane in a scattered manner, but more thickly 

 on to the tibiae and feet, especially on to the latter, which are well 

 clothed. Beneath, it extends a little on to the membranes near the 

 sides of the body. The os calcis is well clothed with short adpressed 

 hairs ; and between it and the tail-tip the membrane is fringed with 

 closely-set hairs, which curve downwards and have a comb-like ap- 

 pearance, as in K. lanosa. 



The fur is everywhere long and silky ; that of all the upper parts 

 is of four colours — at the root very dark grey for a fourth of its 

 length, then yellowish, passing into a pale but bright rust-colour, and 

 the tips of the hairs of a shining and silvery white. There is very 

 little variation in the colouring of the different parts of the upper 

 surface. Beneath, the fur is unicoloured and dirty-white, on the 

 sides of the neck and on the cheeks tinged with rust-colour. 



The teeth, as far as may be gathered from inspection without re- 



