102 MR, UAROLD SCmVANN ON [Feb, 6, 



name. The river was originally fringed witli dense reeds, 

 providing excellent shelter for game of all kinds ; but in some 

 parts clearings have been made by the natives, and the ground 

 drained and cultivated with corn and fruit-trees. 



The Molopo River, lying considerably to the north of Kuruman, 

 is diy most of the year, but in the rainy season may be as much 

 as 16 feet deep. The water remains in stagnant pools till about 

 mid- August, when it is gradually evaporated, leaving the river- 

 bed dry until next year. The country surrounding the river is 

 coverecl with dense camel-thorn * forest and patches of soft sand. 



The particular interest of this collection lies in its providing 

 the British Museum with many valuable topotypes of Dr. Smith's 

 now well-worn and rather faded specimens. His main collections, 

 described in the ' Illustrated Zoology of South Africa,' were made 

 at Kuruman and Old Latakoo, lying in S. lat. 27°, E. long. 24°, 

 a place not marked on modern maps, but in his day of considerable 

 importance. As was to be expected, the prevailing colour of the 

 specimens is sandy and considerably lighter than that of animals 

 inhabiting well-wooded areas. Among the species now described 

 for the first time may be mentioned Crocidiira deserti, a pale- 

 coloured Shrew, probably a desert form of Sundevall's argentata, 

 and M'us woosaaini, a striking species both in colour and tooth- 

 structure. 



1. RuiNOLOPnus DENTi Thos. 

 cT . D. 7, 8. Kurvmian. 



2. RniNOLOPHUS AUGUR K. And. 



c?. W. 26, 28, 2d; I). 124, 125, 126, 127. $. 127. 

 Kuruman. 



" I found some hundreds of these Bats hanging on the rocks 

 in the shaft of an old gold-mine near Kuruman fountain. Of 

 the fifteen that I caught, curiously enough, only one was a female. 

 These Bats are common here, but seem to be found only in the 

 caves, as I have seen none about the houses or old mission 

 buildings liere."^ — H. B. W. 



3. Nycteris thebaica Geoff. 

 6 . D. 15. Kui-uman. 



4. Vespertilio capensis Smith. 

 c?.D. 133. $.W. 56. Kuruman. 



" I caught this little brown Bat in an old mission building. 

 It is not an uncommon species here." — K. B. W. 



5. MimoPTERus schreibersi Kuhl. 

 S . W. 30. Kuruman. 



" This little black Bat with a very long tail was caught at night 



* So called fVoiu the Dutch uame lor the Uiiafl'e, " kameelpardel," which is veri" 

 fouel of these busho. 



