186 [No. 2, 



On a new species of Yespeptilio, ly GK E. Dobson, B. A., M. B., 

 Assistant Surgeon, H. MSs British Forces. 



[Received 1st March, 1871.] 



For a period of ten years, the history of the Indian Cheiroptera 

 has been in abeyance. In the beginning of 1861, Mr. Blyth pub- 

 lished his last remarks on some new species of this order in the 

 Proceedings of the Asiatic Society, and so brought to a close his 

 contributions to our knowledge of this very interesting order of 

 Mammals, an order which he enlarged by the addition, not only 

 of several new species but also a new genus, recording also in the 

 Journal of the Society his original observations on the habits of 

 some individuals.* In Dr. Jerdon's * Mammals of India' published 

 in 1867, the order is systematically treated of, but no species not 

 included in Blyth' s catalogue are described. In Europe during 

 the past ten years the progress of knowledge in this direction has 

 not been great, and the Cheiroptera have in common with other 

 orders of the higher classes of animals shared equal neglect, since 

 naturalists began to examine into final causes, and in the study 

 of developmental theories confined the greater portion of their 

 attention to the extreme limits of the zoological series — to Monkeys 

 and Monads. 



I have, therefore, much satisfaction in bringing to the notice 

 of zoologists a new species of Insectivorous bats. 



Vespertilio auratus.f PL x, figs. 1 — 2. 



Top of the head very slightly elevated, thickly covered with 

 woolly hair which extends forwards upon the face, forming a fringe 



* His paper on the blood-thirsty propensities of some individuals of the 

 genus " Megaderma" will well repay perusal. See J. A. S. Beng., vol. xi. 



f In the abstract of this paper in the Proceedings Asiatic Society for March, 

 1871, this species was referred to as Kerivoula aurata, but taking Tomes' and 

 Peters's view of classification, I believe, that Kerivoula can be regarded only as 

 a sub-genus of Vespertilio. A figure of the head and ear of the species will be 

 published in the next number of the Journal. 



In the same number of the Proceedings I have made reference to a peculiar 

 Murina like bat which I believed to belong to a new genus, for which I proposed 



