1896.} ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR. 975 
INSECTIVORA. 
Of Malagasy Insectivora 14 species were known when I left 
Europe, viz. 13 Centetide and 1 Crocidwra, not taking in account 
one Crocidwra apparently introduced from India. All of these, with 
the exception of three (Zchinops, Geogale, and Microgale crassipes), 
are represented in my collections. Of one species, viz. Oryzoryctes 
tetradactylus, which before was known only by one immature 
specimen in Paris, and one skin without the skull in London, I 
have brought back upwards of 150 specimens of all ages. Of 
another rare form, Microgale dobsoni, known only by an imperfect 
young specimen in the National Museum, there are also numerous 
specimens. Besides I have come upon 9 new species, all of them 
Centetide, bringing the number of this Malagasy family up to 23, 
the number of insectivorous species brought home by myself being 
20, viz.:—1 Crocidura, 1 Centetes, 2 Ericulus, 2 Hemicentetes, 
1 Limnogale, 4 Oryzoryctes, 9 Microgale. 
I have elsewhere! published short descriptions of most of the 
new species, but have not yet begun the proper working-out of 
this rich material ; I therefore limit myself to a very few general 
remarks. 
The Tanrec, Centetes ecaudatus, which is often considered to be 
the type of the family Centetide, is certainly in several respects 
the least typical of them all, being very much specialized in various 
directions. 
One remarkable form, modified for aquatic life, for which I have 
proposed the new genus Limnogale (L. mergulus), deserves special 
mention. It is almost of the size of Mus rattus, furnished with 
webbed toes, a powerful laterally compressed tail, short, broad, 
and flattened head, large infraorbital foramen, &c. The clavicles 
are present, whilst in the African Potamogale they are wanting. 
Amongst the smaller species with soft hair, we meet with all 
gradations from forms highly fossorial (Oryzoryctes) to others in 
which the fossorial adaptation is reduced to a minimum, or may be 
altogether wanting (genus Microgale). Some of these last represent 
apparently the primitive stock of the family. It is from forms 
not dissimilar to these that a group of highly specialized African 
Insectivora may have taken their origin, whilst Centetes, itself a 
specialized creature, with a brain atrophied before being quite 
adult, cannot possibly have become the progenitor of fresh offshoots. 
CHIROPTERA. 
For want of time the Bats have been only very superficially 
examined. My last collections having arrived only a short time 
ago, a certain number of specimens are still enclosed in the 
tin boxes. 
There seem to be about 12 species represented, of which one 
is certainly new for Madagascar ; only one Vesperiilio being known, 
whilst my collections contain specimens of two species of the genus. 
1 See Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Oct. and Dee. 1896. 
Proc, Zoon. Soc.—1896, No. LXIII. 63 
