332 



and, thinning out, leaves the hinder half naked. The upper sur- 

 faces of the tail, feet, tibiae, forearms, and thumbs and index-fingers 

 are garnished with short and shining hairs of a silvery or pale 

 golden-yellow colour. 



The hinder margin of the interfemoral membrane, between the os 

 calcis and tail, is furnished with a very remarkable comb-like fringe 

 of prominent thick-set hairs, which, curving downwards, have their 

 points directed towards the belly of the animal. On all the upper 

 parts the fur is tricoloured, with a faint indication of a fourth colour. 

 At the root it is blackish-grey for nearly half its length, which is 

 succeeded by palish-brown, and this again for a very short length of 

 a darker tint, and finally tipped with sulphur-yellow. The latter 

 colour is on the head, neck, and shoulders so pale as to give a silvery 

 appearance to the tips of the hairs, which is heightened by their 

 being curly, somewhat as in the fur of the common hare. Towards 

 the hinder parts they are less curly, and more yellow in colour, 

 especially those which grow on the legs, tail, and interfemoral mem- 

 brane. The same may be said of those on the upper surface of the 

 forearms, thumbs, and index-fingers. 



Beneath, the fur is bicoloured, dark at the base, with the terminal 

 fourth whitish-grey, very much as in the common Vespertilio mysta- 

 cinus ; but the light- coloured tips are more shining than in that 

 species. 



The membranes are of a medium brown colour, somewhat diapha- 

 nous, and have their veins thickly marked with glandular-looking 

 dots. 



The description of the cranium will be given in connexion with 

 that of the skull of the next species, the better to illustrate by im- 

 mediate comparison the difference between the two. 



In the following table of dimensions, the first column are those of 

 a male and the second those of a female, both from the same 

 locality : — 



1. 



Length of the head and body, about. . 1 



of the tail 1 



of the head 



of the ears 



Breadth of the ears 



Length of the tragus 



of the forearm 1 



of the longest finger 2 



of the fourth finger 1 



of the thumb 



of the tibia 



of the foot and claws 



of the os calcis 



Expanse of wings 10 



I lab. South Africa, the eastern coast. 



9 



2 







7 



1 



6 



7 







7 



4* 







5 



5 







5 



^2 



9 







1 



2 



3i 

 9 



11 



1 



1<H 



3 







3 



6 







6 



3-L 



9 





 



H 



6 







10 



3 



