NOTES ON MAMMALS FOUND IN THE SIMLA DISTRICT. 739> 



esteemed them a great delicacy. A large plump Flying-fox usually retailed 

 for about six annas ! 



On examining some of these bats in Calcutta, I found that they gene- 

 rally had one or two curious spider-like parasites, belonging to the Genus- 

 Nycteribia, adhering to their bodies. 



26. Rhinolophus tragatus, Hodgs. — Hodc/son^s Horseshoe Bat. 



(Blanford No. 157.) 



(Simla Hill States (outer ranges) == " Chamchira " ; this term is applied 

 to all Bats). 



Measureynents : 



SeX' — (5(4 adults). Head and body 61 mm. — 67mm.; tail 36 mm. 

 — 38 mm.; hindfoot 13 mm. — 14 mm.; ear 27 mm. — 28 mm. 



Sex — $ (2 adults). Head and body 63 mm. — 64 mm.; tail 33 mm.;, 

 hindfoot 13 mm. — 14 mm.; ear 25 mm. 



In August 1912, I found a colony of these Bats inhabiting the attic of 

 an ofBce at Simla (7,000 feet), and captured several specimens. These- 

 animals always issued forth at dusk, in large numbers from their roosting, 

 places, and after flying slowly round the building, at only a short 

 distance from the ground, used to disappear into the neighbouring forests. 



Their diet is apparently found close to the ground, as I frequently 

 observed them hovering about near the roots of small bvishes on the 

 hillsides. 



In order to study the habits of these bats, I kept some of them alive 

 for short periods in a box with a glass cover, and noticed that the cap- 

 tives retained their ears in a constant state of vibration : when hangin<; 

 downwards in the box, their interfemoral membranes were always 

 carefully preserved by being neatly folded backwards. They were very 

 pugnacious, and were constantly biting each other. The immature 

 specimens are darker in colour than the adults. I can corroborate what 

 Hodgson says about this species not being migratory ; bilt am not quite 

 sure about it not hibernating, so far as Simla is concerned at any rate. 



I got several curious spider-like parasites from the bodies of these Bats. 



27. Nyctalxjs labiata, Hodgs. — The Noctule Bat. 



(Blanford No. 181 ipartmi]. ) 



Measurements of an adult S '■ 



Head and body 84 mm. ; tail 49 mm. ; hindfoot 10 mm. ; ear 

 20 mm. 



Mr. Kinnear kindly identified the above specimen for me. He states 

 that this is the eastern representative of N. noetula. 



This Bat is a forest loving species, and I have generally found it solitary 

 in natural crevices and holes of trees. Judging from the amount of dung in 

 its abode, it apparently lives in the same spot for a considerable period. 

 Its flight is rapid and strong. As stated by Blanford, it has a most un- 

 pleasant odour. 



28. PiPisTRELLUS COKOMANDRA, Gray. — The Coromandel Pipistrelle. 



( Blanford No. 187 ). 



{Vide Wroughton in J. B. N. H. S. Vol. XXI, p. 1179). 



This Bat is very common in Simla ( 7,000 feet ), and is the one that fre- 

 quently comes into the houses at nights. It is not a forest haunting spe- 

 cies, but, as observed by Blanford, is essentially a house bat, hiding in 



