38 



ORDER CHIROPTERA— GENUS NYCTERIS. 



The Lower Lip limple. 



Inhabits Senegal, 



This first species of Nycteris was described by Daubenton in the Me- 

 moirs of the Academy of Sciences for the year 1759, under the appellation 

 of the Campagnol volant; from this description Linnaeus gave his account 

 of his Vespertilio hispida, and Desmarest very properly applied to it its 

 present name, N. hispida. 



The head of this species is large ; its muzzle bulky, and its forehead as 

 if hollowed out by a deep furrow ; the nostrils, which approximate, are 

 placed in front of a small hollow ; the furrow on the forehead is deep and 

 naked, having long hairs round its edges. The hair of the head, except 

 that on the crown, that of the neck, of the chest and abdomen, is whit- 

 ish, with a fawn tint ; that of the crown and occiput, the upper parts of 

 the neck and shoulders, the back and croup, are of a russet brown, and 

 nearly five lines long : the ears and membranes are of different shades of 

 blackish and reddish-brown ; the nails are yellow. The dimensions of the 

 individual examined by Daubenton were from*the tip of the snout to the 

 origin of the tail, one inch and a half; the extreme breadth nearly eight 

 inches, of the tail one inch and three lines ; of the ears ten lines. 



2. NYCTERIS HUZARDII HUZARD'S CHEEK-POUCHED BAT. 



Syn. Nycteris Geoffroyii Desm. Mam. No. 190. 



Nyctere de la Thebaide Desm. Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. 



Icon. 



specific characters. 



The Hair brown above, brownish-grey beneath, soft and fine. 



The Ears very high, united in front. The Operculum twice as 

 broad as high. The Nose-leaf very complicated, (see description.) 



The Lower-Lip as if cleft, with a large wart in the middle. 



The Tail having the last joint deeply bifurcated. 



Inhabits Senegal. 



The description of the specimens examined at Senegal by the younger 

 M. Huzard, as given by M. Desmarest, is by far the most satisfactory of 

 any we have seen, and, therefore, though compelled to distinguish it as a 

 new species, we submit it for the satisfaction of the reader. M. Desma- 

 rest identifies it with the next species, viz. that of Thebes, but immedi- 

 ately afterwards points out so many differences as to leave little doubt 

 that they are distinct. This view is strongly corroborated by the re- 

 marks of M. Geoffroy, who says, " he presumes there are two species 

 at Senegal ; Daubenton," he remarks, " having described two varieties he 

 had received from that neighbourhood ;" and adds, " I have myself exa- 

 mined the cranium and osteology of the one of these, and these parts 

 agree neither with the dimensions, nor the details in shape, of either the 

 hispida or the Theban species." 



The following is a condensed account of M. Huzard's excellent ac- 

 count. The head is large, and much prolonged in front ; the cranium 

 being voluminous, and much rounded behind; the muzzle is very full; 

 the upper lip very broad, rising high; the lower is as if bifurcated, exhibit- 

 ing two thick and naked folds of skin forming an angle, the point of which 

 is produced below the chin, and the upper part embracing a great wart, 

 at the edge of the lip. The canines are rather strong ; the incisors very 

 small, and bi-lobed or tri-lobed; the tongue is long, rounded at its extre- 

 mity, and having its surface studded with very fine horny papillae. The 

 nose-leaf is very complicated, being composed, 1st, of the nasal apper- 

 tures which closely approximate, and. are situate at the anterior part of 

 the great fossa of the chanfrin, extending from the lip to the commence- 

 ment of the cranium, properly so called ; 2dly, of a delicate fold of skin co- 

 vered with hair, surrounding this fossa, and best seen when raised up by 

 a sharp instrument ; Edly, of two still more delicate folds, longitudinal, 

 hairless, lying parallel to each other at the bottom of the fossa; and, 

 lastly, of two spiral and somewhat rounded pieces of the skin, covering 

 the middle part of this fossa. The ears are placed within a third of the 

 back of the head, and are nearly twice its height; their inner margins ap- 

 proximate, and are united on the forehead ; they are thickly clothed close 

 to the head, and a few hairs are scattered throughout both inside and 

 out ; the tragus small, twice as broad as high, and clad anteriorly. The 

 body is very stout and muscular in front, the chest is full and broad, the 

 wings are large and broad ; the thumb slender, the nail weak. The in- 

 terfemoral membrane is particularly ample, and supported by spurs as 

 long as is the leg, embracing the tail, formed of seven vertebra;, and ter- 

 minated by a cartilage in the form of the letter T, whose branches extend 

 to right and left. The fur is soft and fine ; the colour being brown above, 

 and light brownish-grey beneath. The dimensions are from the tip of 

 the snout to the origin of the tail two inches ; of the tail two ; of the ears 

 one ; extreme expanse almost ten. 



3. NYCTERIS THEBAICA — THEBAN CHEEK-POUCHED BAT. 



Syn. et Icon. Nyctere de la Thebaide — Geoff. Mem. de ITnstit. d'Egypte, 

 Hist. Nat. II. pi. I and 2. 



Nycteris Thebaicus — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XX. 20 ; pi. ], (head.) 

 Nycteris Thebaica — Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 494. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair above bright brown, beneath of an ash-colour. 

 The Ears very large ; Operculum shaped like a half trefoil leaf. 

 The Nose-leaf considerably developed, and somewhat in a spiral 

 form. 



The Lower-lip has a wart in the centre. 

 Inhabits Upper Egypt. 



The Theban Bat is about two inches long from the tip of the snout to 

 the origin of the tail, and its extreme breadth nearly ten. Tbe length of 

 its ears is one inch ; of its tail two. Both the auricular and caudal ap- 

 pendages are in this way very large, and in no degree less are the alar 

 and interfemoral membranes ; the latter especially being amplified by the 

 very long spurs, which descend nearly an inch from the ankle, and go so 

 far to meet the singular bifurcated and curved points of the last caudal 

 vertebra. The operculum or tarsus is not very large in relation to the 

 ample auricles, and is shaped like an half trefoil leaf. The horse-shoe 

 on the upper lip is broad and ample, and from its centre there ascends a 

 leaf-stalk or tendril on to the outer side of the nostrils, from which, after 

 making a spiral turn round them, it ascends on the chanfrin. The under- 

 lip has a large wart in its centre, imbedded in a double fold of skin, 

 shaped like the letter V. On the upper parts of the body it is of a bright 

 brown, on the under of an ash colour. A specimen, Mr Gray states, is 

 in the collection of the British Museum. 



4. NYCTERIS JAVANICA.— JAVA CHEEK-POUCHED BAT. 



Syn. Nycteris Javanicus Geoff. Mem. de ITnstit. d'Egypte, Hist. Nat. IL 



p. 12.3.— Geoff. Ann. Mus. XX. 20 Desm. Mam. No. 192. 



Nycteris Javanica Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 494. 



Icon. Geoff. Ann. Mus. XX. pi. 1. 



specific characters. 

 The Hair above of a lively red colour, below reddish-grey. 

 Inhabits Java. 



This species was transmitted from the island of Java to Paris by M. 

 Leschenault de la Tour, and is now in the Natural History Museum at 

 Paris ; Mr Gray states it is also to be found in the Museum of the Hon. 

 East India Company. It is larger than any of the previously described 

 species ; its head and body being more than two and a half inches long. 

 All the upper parts of the body are of a lively red colour, and the under of 

 a reddish-grey. No more detailed description has yet been published. 



5. NYCTERIS CAPENSIS CAPE CHEEK-POUCHED BAT. 



Syn. Nycteris Capensis. — Dr A. Smith, Zool. Journ. XVI. 434. — Fisch. 



Syn. Mam. p. 662. 

 Icon. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair above blackish-brown, below greyish ; Membranes reddish- 

 brown. 



The Tail slightly forked ; last vertebra but one the shortest. 



Inhabits South Africa and its Eastern Coasts. 



This and the next species were discovered by Dr Smith during his re- 

 sidence at the Cape of Good Hope. The neck above, he states, and the 

 back of this animal, are blackish-brown, the sides of the neck dirty white, 

 below it is cinerous white, with blackish shades. The membranes are 

 reddish-brown ; height of the ears from fur to tip seven-eighths of an 

 inch, width better than six-eighths ; tragus short, apex semicircular, and 

 its upper edge clothed with a tuft of long, white, woolly fur ; termination 

 of the tail but slightly forked, last vertebra but one, if any thing, the 

 shortest. Length from nose to root of the tail, better than two inches; 

 expanse of the wings ten inches. 



Found in the interior parts of South Africa, as well as upon the East- 

 ern Coast. 

 6. NYCTERIS AFFINIS AFFINIS CHEEK-POUCHED BAT. 



Syn. Nycteris affinis. — Dr A. Smith, Zool. Journ. XVI. 434 — Fisch. Syn. 



Mam. p. 662. 

 Icon. 



specific characters. 



The Hair tawny brown above, tawny white beneath ; Membranes 

 blackish-brown. 



The Teeth of the upper jaw in pairs. 



The Tail deeply forked ; last vertebra but one the longest. 



Inhabits South Africa. 



Of this species, we shall give the description of the discoverer verbatim. 

 Neck above, and back reddish-brown or tawny, sides of neck before wings 



