1 S87.] J. Seal y— Oji tJie Chiroptera of Nej)al. 257 



are entered under the name of Sooty Scotophile (Scotophihos /uUginosus) ^ 

 with a remark that the feet are very small, in the wing to the base of 

 the toes. This attachment of the wing-membrane would not apply to 

 M. schreibersily in which thsbt membrane only reaches the ankle ; bnt 

 Dr. Gray appears to have suspected that he was including two species 

 under one name, for he adds, '* a. — e. Specimens in spirit. /. A 

 specimen with a rather larger tragus, without any small lobe at the 

 outer side of its base." The last-mentioned specimen was probably the 

 type of Hodgson's V. fiUiginosa, and I am rather surprised not to find it 

 figuring in the list of specimens of M. sclireihersii in the latest cata- 

 logue of bats in the British Museum. As has before been mentioned, the 

 first five specimens called by Dr. Gray Scotophilus fuliginosus are really 

 examples of Vesperugo abramus, 



I obtained a single specimen of M. schi-eihersii in the Nepal Valley, 

 on the 8th of February, which gave the following measurements : — 



Length, head and body 2-2 inches, tail 2*2, head 0'7, ear 0*52, 

 tragus 0*24, forearm 1*9, thumb 0*3, third finger 3*52, first phalanx of 

 third finger 0'45, fourth finger 2-6, fifth finger 2*1, tibia 0*75, foot and 

 claws 0*4, calcaneum 0*55 ; expanse 13"5. 



The fur is rich dark brown above, and pale brown on the lower 

 surface ; the basal part of the fur being everywhere blackish brown. 

 This example was secured in a curious way. I shot a crow (Gorvus 

 splendens) one evening in my garden, and as it fell a bat dropped from its 

 claws, which proved to be M. schreihersii. The bat had evidently just 

 been captured and killed by the crow, probably out of sheer mischief. 



Mr. Hodgson says that this species remains in N^epal throughout 

 the year and does not hibernate, and that it is solitary in habit when 

 hunting for its prey. Captain Hutton mentions that in Masuri it is 

 found in caves and caverns, and even in crevices of rocks, and is occa- 

 sionally attracted to the lamps in a room. This no doubt means that 

 the light of lamps attracts insects, and in pursuit of these the bat en- 

 ters rooms. 



It will be seen that, in the foregoing list, 19 species of bats are ad- 

 mitted as occurring in Nepal. One of these (Rhinolophus afinis) is in- 

 cluded with doubt, the specimen of that species presented by Mr. 

 Hodgson to the British Museum having possibly been obtained in Dar- 

 jiling, and not in Nepal. Of the total 19 species, 3, namely, Pteropus 

 medius, Cynonycteris amplexicaudata, and Gynopterus marginatus, are 

 certainly not part of the fauna of the Nepal Yalley. They have been 

 found there as mere stragglers from a neighbouring tract of the country 

 which differs essentially, in point of elevation and of fauna and flora, from 

 33 



