no. 5 



MAMMALS OF PANAMA — GOLDMAN 



185 



PHYLLOSTOMUS HASTATUS PANAMENSIS Allen 



Panama Spear-nosed Bat 



Phyllostomus hastatus panamensis Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., 

 Vol. 20, p. 233, June 29, 1904. Type from Boqueron, Chiriqui, Panama. 



With the exception of the false vampire (Vampyrns spectrum) 

 this is the largest American bat. The forearm measures about 90 

 millimeters. It is a robust animal, very dark brown or blackish 

 brown in color above, except a lighter brown area across the 

 shoulders. A gland on the under side of the neck is conspicuous 

 in the males, but rudimentary in the females. 



- y 



Fig. 8. — Phyllostomus nastatus panamensis. 

 No. 179732, U. S. Nat. Mus. About nat. size. 



The Panama race apparently differs from Phyllostomus hastatus 

 hastatus 1 of Trinidad and eastern Venezuela in larger size. Speci- 

 mens from Panama and as far north as Patuca, Honduras, are, 

 however, equalled by examples from the Amazon and from southern 

 Brazil. 3 



Common, at least at low elevations, throughout Panama. In one 

 of the Chilibrillo caves, near Alhajuela, I found thousands sus- 

 pended from various parts of the vaulted roof in the total darkness 

 of the principal chamber. More than 100 were seen in a single spot 

 over which they were so densely massed that their bodies seemed to 

 be touching. There was much loud squeaking, but I was allowed to 

 approach to within 12 or 15 feet when they vacated the place almost 

 in a body. In flying through the resounding passages of the cave 

 the noise of their wings resembled the thunderous roar of a heavy 



1 Type region fixed as Surinam by Allen, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist, Vol. 20, 

 p. 233-234, June 29, 1904. 



2 Phyllostomus hastatus caucce Allen measures about the same and seems 

 otherwise indistinguishable from P. h. panamensis which was given page 

 priority when the two were published. 



