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2. On Two Species of Bats inhabiting New Zealand. 

 By Robert F. Tomes. 



(Mammalia, PI. till., LIV.) 



The first notice of the occurrence of Cheiroptera in New Zealand 

 was given by Forster in 1 772-7 '4 *, who recorded the occurrence of 

 a Bat flying over the sea-shore near the margin of a wood in . the 

 estuary of Queen Charlotte. It was shot, but being struck only in 

 the wing, lived for two days. " He was described by me," says he, 

 "and was drawn by my son." To this species Forster gave the 

 name of Vespertilio tuberculatus. The description has been pub- 

 lished in the work noted below, and the drawing is now in the British 

 Museum. I shall have occasion to refer to both the description and 

 the figure. 



In 1843 Dr. Gray gave a very condensed description of a Bat in 

 the Appendix to Dieffenbach's Travels in New Zealand, which he, 

 believing to be the species mentioned in the MSS. of Forster, called 

 by the same specific name. As Dr. Gray had specimens for exami- 

 nation, he at once perceived that they could by no means be consi- 

 dered as representatives of the genus Vespertilio, and that they did 

 not even belong to the same family. Accordingly we find them 

 in the ' Catalogue of the Mammalia of the British Museum,' pub- 

 lished in 1843, placed in the Family Noctilionina, with the new 

 generic appellation Mystacina, the old specific name tubereulata 

 being retained. 



Having some time since had occasion to examine some species of 

 Bats in the Museum of the College of Surgeons, Prof. Quekett 

 showed me one which had been recently received from New Zealand. 

 It was not until I had been assured that it came directly from that 

 country, in a bottle with a collection of New Zealand insects, that I 

 could be persuaded that no mistake as to locality had been made. 

 The forms presented by this example were so entirely unlike those 

 of the only New Zealand species with which I was acquainted, that 

 it was with considerable surprise I beheld a bat having pretty much 

 the same forms and proportions as the common little English Pipi- 

 strelle. 



Shortly afterwards an opportunity occurred of inspecting the fine 

 collection of Cheiroptera in the Leyden Museum, which contains 

 three examples of this supposed new species, but without any specific 

 name. Finally, I detected other examples in the British Museum, 

 amounting in number to five. 



Being then satisfied of the existence of two species of Bats in New 

 Zealand, I was anxious to pursue the subject further, and to deter- 

 mine, if possible, to which of these Forster had given the name of 

 V. tuberculatus. The kindness of Dr. Gray speedily placed in my 

 hands all the necessary materials. There could be no hesitation ; 

 the supposed new species was undoubtedly the one from which 



* Descriptiones animalium in itinere ad maris australis terras per annos 1772-7 

 suscepto observatorum, edidit H. Lichtenstein. 1844. 



