44 



ORDER CHIROPTERA— GENUS NYCTICEJUS. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair on the upper parts of the body of a deep brown, with a rosy 

 tint, the lower parts a greyish fawn. — Covering the whole body. 

 The Lips covered with hair. The Ears shorter than the head. 

 The Tragus short. 

 Inhabits India. 



Heath's Bat is likewise remarkable for its large size ; in total length 

 being upwards of six inches, and breadth nearly twenty ; the fur also is 

 abundant, silky, and shining. The head is of medium length, depressed, 

 somewhat flat above, and compressed on the sides ; the muzzle is large 

 and obtuse ; the gape not very wide ; the lips covered with hair ; the ears 

 much shorter than the head; the concha straight, and roundly oblong at 

 the point, somewhat keel-shaped at its posterior margin j the tragus is 

 linear, and leaf-shaped. The fur is smooth and short, and covers every 

 part of the body. The colour of the upper part is of a deep brown, co- 

 vered with a rosy hue ; beneath it is a somewhat greyish-fawn colour. No 

 part of the body is naked. 



Mr Heath transmitted an individual of this species from Madras to the 

 Zoological Society, where specimens are to be preserved ; Dr Horsfield 

 described it to that learned body. It has been received also from Cal- 

 cutta. 



S. NYCTICEJUS TEMMINCKII TEMMINCK'S ROQUET-DOG 



BAT. 



Syn. Nycticejus Temmtnckii Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 149. 



Vespertilio Temminckh. — Horsf. Zool. Res. in Java. 

 Scotophilia Temmtnckii. — Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot., who identifies 

 it with the Vesp. Belangeri." 



Icon. Vespertilio Temminckh Horsf. loc. cit., 5 figures. 



Nyctice Temminck. — From the living animal ; loc. cit. Temm. Mon. pi. 

 47, 4 figures. 



specific characters. 



The Hair often varying in colour, (see description 1,) very short and 

 shining. 



The Ears wide asunder, broad, round at the tip. The Tragus ob- 

 long, round at the point; inclined forwards. 



Inhabits Java and surrounding Archipelago. 



Dr Horsfield states that the entire length of this Bat is four inches and 

 six lines, its extreme width is about eleven. The muzzle is full and ob- 

 tuse ; the ears very widely separated, broad, round at the point ; the 

 operculum is somewhat oblong, inclined forwards, and roundish at the 

 extremity. The cranium is capacious, the occiput high, the chanfrin 

 broad and flat. The fur is very short, abundant, and shining, with a 

 brush of hairs on the lower part of the alar membranes. The colours of 

 the robe are very variable, often party-coloured, so as to excite the sus- 

 picion that it sometimes changes. The examination of more than a hun- 

 dred individuals has led M. Temminck to the conclusion that the follow- 

 ing are the most common : — a. All the upper parts of the body bright 

 and shining chestnut, all the lower parts a beautiful red. b. Upper 

 parts a shining olive brown ; lower parts a yellowish-grey brown, c. 

 Upper parts of a shining red brown; the lower, a fawn red. In the young 

 the most common liveries are, d. olive, or dull russet above, a fawn red 

 beneath ; and, e. in some individuals, the upper parts are party-coloured, 

 chestnut and brown, whilst the lower are spotted, white, fawn coloured, 

 and red. 



Dr Horsfield first described this Bat, and the Belgian Naturalists have 

 captured many of them in the Eastern Archipelago, especially in Java. 

 They congregate in great bands of many hundreds in the roofs and trunks 

 of trees, whence they issue about dusk. Their chief nourishment con- 

 sists in the white ants, ( Termites.) 



4. NYCTICEJUS BELANGERII BELANGER'S ROQUET-DOG 



BAT. 



Syn. Nycticejus Belangerii Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 151. 



Vespertilio Belangeri Isid. Geoff, in Voy. de Belang. p. 87. 



Icon. Vespertilion Belanger Voy. ut sup. pi. 3. 



specific characters. 



The Fur olive chestnut above- 



The Muzzle, cheeks, arm-pits, and groins, naked. 



Inhabits India. 



The ears of this species are wide asunder, roundish, short, their ex- 

 ternal border approximating to the lips ; the tragus narrow and straight. 

 The muzzle is short, broad, obtuse; the nostrils wide apart. The teeth 

 exhibit that formula which is more rarely observed. The fur is of me- 



dium length, smooth, bi-coioured above, and uniform beneath : above, 

 they are brownish-yellow at their root, and chestnut at their point ; be- 

 neath, fawn coloured. The membranes are naked above, but are some- 

 what clad beneath along the arm and fore-arm. The total length is 

 nearly five inches. The expanse fourteen. In the young, the hair is 

 shorter, and not so scanty, and is brown above, and light yellow beneath, 

 almost white on the throat and chest. It is frequent on the coast of Co- 

 romandel, and neighbouring parts of India ; abounding in dwelling-houses. 



5. NYCTICEJUS NOCTULINUS NOCTULINE ROQUET-DOG 



BAT. 



Syn, 



Icon. 



Nycticejus Noctulinus. — Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 226. 

 Vespertilio Noctulina. — Isid. GeofFr. in Voy. de Belang. p. 92. 



SPECIFIC characters. 



The Fur of a rosy fawn colour above, yellowish beneath. 



The Body in no part naked. The Membranes of a light brown. 



Inhabits India and Singapore. 



This Bat, in general appearance, corresponds to the preceding, but is 

 of smaller dimensions, nor is any of its body devoid of hair. The muzzle 

 is prolonged and naked at its point and sides. The ears are triangular, 

 terminating in an oval shape ; the inferior lobe is remarkably long ; the 

 tragus is long and straight, terminating in a blunt point. The tail is of 

 medium length. The upper part of the head, the sides of the neck, and 

 the upper parts of the body, are covered with short hair of a rosy fawn 

 colour ; the under parts are of a yellowish fawn, the sides of the chest 

 being somewhat red ; the lower side of the interfemoral membrane appears 

 naked, till examined with a glass, when a few fine white hairs are dis- 

 covered. The membranes are of a light brown, their edges white, and 

 there is no difference in the sexes. The total length is three inches 

 and three lines ; the width about nine. It has been found at Bengal and 

 at Singapore. 



6. NYCTICEJUS BORBONICUS.— BOURBON ROQUET-DOG 



BAT. 



Syn. Nycticejus Borbonicus Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 153. 



Vespertilio Borbonicus Geoffr. Ann. Mus. VIII. 301. Desm. 



Mam. No. 216. 

 Icon. Geoff, loc. cit. pi. I. tete ; copied in Temm. pi. 47, fig. 7. 



specific characters. 



The Fur red above, pale beneath. The Ears oval, triangular. 

 The Tragus long, and demi heart-shaped. 

 Inhabits the Island of Bourbon. 



The head of the Bourbon species is short and broad ; the muzzle ob- 

 tuse ; the ears wide asunder, short, scarcely higher than the head, and 

 triangular ; the tragus long, leaf-shaped, bent towards the head. The 

 fur is short, shining, and bi-coloured on the superior parts, being yellow- 

 ish at the base, and shining red towards the tip ; the under parts of the 

 body are pure white, the tips of the hairs having a slight rosy tint. All 

 the membranes are naked, and of a dull brown colour. The total length 

 is nearly five inches, the breadth thirteen. M. Mace sent home specimens 

 which are now to be found in Paris and Leyden. 



7. NYCTICEJUS LEUCOGASTER — WHITE-BELLIED ROQUET- 

 DOG BAT. 



Syn. Nycticejus Leucogaster. — Temm. Mon. Mam. II. 153. 



Icon. Cretzschmar in Atlas Voy. de Ru'pp. Tab. XXVIII. fig. 11 1, 2, 



Heads. 



specific characters. 



The Fur olive brown above; yellowish-white beneath. 

 The Face naked and flesh-coloured. The Ears large and roundish. 

 Tragus long. 

 Inhabits Kordofan. 



In this species the head is short ; the muzzle broad ; the nostrils wide 

 apart ; the face and cheeks naked, and flesh-coloured ; the ears distant 

 from each other, large, roundish, having the inferior lobe distinct ; the 

 tragus long, leaf-shaped, and curved forwards ; the abdomen of the male 

 showing the skin, though covered with hair. The fur short and smooth ; 

 all the upper parts are of an olive brown colour ; the lower are white, with 

 a yellowish tinge. The total length is somewhat more than four inches ; 

 the extreme expanse twelve. 



Specimens are to be seen in the museums of Francfort, and the Low 

 Countries. M. Ruppell discovered this species at Kordofan. 



