20S G. E. Dobsoii — Notes on some N. W. IHmalmjan Bats. [Dec. 



press the natural craving in man for spirituous drinks ; and to illustrate this, 

 he recapitulates the various anathemas which have been hurled against 

 drinking in the Hindu Sastras from time to time, and then quotes a num- 

 ber of instances to show that drinking prevailed to a large extent among the 

 Brahmanical races in former ages. The instances are taken from the Vedas, 

 the Sutras, the llamayana, the Mahiibharata and other standard works. 

 They are followed by an account of the various kinds of spirits which were 

 knowTi to the ancient Hindus, and the modes in which they were prepared. 

 The nature and physiological effect of the Soma beverage are next described, 

 and the paper is brought to a conclusion with an account of the SaiUrdmani 

 rite in which libations of country arrack were formerly offered to the gods. 



5. Notes on some hats collected hy Captain W. Gr. Mureat, in the North- 

 Western Himalaya, with description of new species, — hy G. E. DoBSOJS", 

 B. A., M. B., Assistant Burgeon, H. M's British Forces. 



While on a tour last summer in the north-western Himalaya, Captain 

 Murray very kindly collected for me some specimens of the bats inhabiting 

 that region. I find these specimens to represent three species of which one — 

 a Vespertilio — has not been before described, and one is a well-known Euro- 

 pean Ehinolophine bat. 



1. Bhinolophus ferrum-equinum^ Schreber. 



Bhinolophus tragatus-, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng. iv, p. 699. 



An adult female specimen agreeing in all respects with specimens of 

 Bh. ferruni-equinum from Europe. I have compared the original specimens 

 of Bh. tragatus sent from Nipal by Mr. Hodgson, and find them in no re- 

 spect different from the European Bh. ferrum-equinum. The geographical 

 range of this species is, therefore, very wide. Other species of bats also 

 extend from Europe to the Himalaya, and specimens from England and 

 Nipal are either identical, or, should they be found to differ in any respect, 

 differ only m the colour of the fur, a very unimportant character in distin- 

 guishing the species of Chiroptera. Among these species, the most common 

 2JVQ Barhastellus communis ; Blecotus auritus ; Vespertilio my stacinus ; Ves- 

 pe7'tilio murinus ; Vesperus serotinus ; and Vesperugo noctula. I have late- 

 ly compared European specimens of the last named species with a specimen 

 brought from Darjeeling by Dr. Stoliczka, and find no difference of any im- 

 portance. 



The specimen here referred to was taken by Captain Murray at an ele- 

 vation of about 3000 feet, at Chudri in the native state of Chamba. 

 2. Megaderma lyra, Geoffroy. 



Megaderma spectrum, Wagner, in Hiigel's Kashmir, p. 569. 



Megaderma schistacea, Hodgson, Journ. As. Soc. Beng., xvi. p. 889, 



