256 J. Scully— On the Chiroptera of Nepal, [No. 3, 



definition of the species, and yet I believe it is the only description we 

 had of Hodgon's V. mwicola before the appearance of Dr. Dobson's 

 ' Monograph/ That author has satisfied himself that the title Vespertilio 

 caliginosus of Tomes, dating from 1859, as well as three or four other 

 defined names published before the appearance of his monograph, really 

 apply to the species named, but not described, by Hodgson as F. muri- 

 cola. Under these circumstances it seems doubtful whether Hodgson's 

 title can be retained for the species ; but, as Dr. Dobson has used the 

 name of V. muricola in his two important works, and changes in 

 nomenclature are to be deprecated, I have here followed his 

 example. 



On a comparison of specimens, V. muricola is readily distinguished 

 from V. mystacinus by the shape of the tragus. In the former, the 

 tragus is concave on its inner margin, and is decidedly inclined inwards 

 and rather forwards ; while in V. mystacinus the tragus is more erect 

 and has a straight inner margin. 



Nothing is recorded about the habits of this species in Nepal, but 

 Captain Hutton writes, " This is a common species at Mussooree and 

 in the Dehra Doon. It is early on the wing, coming out of caves and 

 hollow trees, flying high, and is very rapid in its movements." 



19. MiNIOPTERUS SCHBEIBERSII. 



Vespertilio schreibersii, Natterer in Kuhl, Deutsoh. Flederm. Wetteran. Ann. iv 

 p. 41 (1819). 



Vespertilio fuliginosa, Hodgson, Joarn. Asiat. Soc. Beng. vol. iv, pp. TOO and 

 701 (1835). 



Miniopterus schreibersii, Dobson, Monogr. Asiat. Chir. p. 160 (1876) ; Cat. Chir. 

 Brit. Mas. p. 348 (1878). 



Mr. Hodgson, in describing his Vespertilio fuliginosa^ says that in 

 size it is somewhat smaller than Vespertilio formosa, and with the ears, 

 lips, and muzzle as in the latter species. The face is sharp, but the 

 rostrum is somewhat recurved, owing to the concave bend of the nasal 

 bones which join a high forehead with a considerable curve. He notes 



that the dentition of V. fuliginosa is _ZL , ^.HL., -^„ thus differing 



D 1 1 D — O 



from V. formosa and V. lahiata (= V. noctula) ^in which the molar series is 



^Zlr- The colour, he says, is wholly sooty brown. 

 (5 — 6 



This description is sufficient to show that Hodgson was referring to 

 Miniopterus schreibersii. In Gray's ' Catalogue of Hodgson's collection 

 in the British Museum ' (1846, p. 4), six specimens of bats from Nepal 



