182 VESPERXILIONIDiE. 



1. Otonycteris hemprichii. 



Otonycteria hemprichii, Peteis, MB. Akad. Berl. 1859, p. 222. 



Ears very large, much longer than the head, oval, rounded off 

 ahove ; lower third of the inner margin of the ear-conch strongly 

 convex, but not forming a projection as in Plecotus auritus ; upper 

 two thirds slightly convex, outer margin straight in upper third, 

 then strongly convex, emarginate opposite the base of the tragus, 

 terminating near the angle of the mouth ; tragus very similar to that 

 of Plecotus auritus. 



Wings from the base of the toes ; calcaneum without a distinct 

 postcalcaneal lobe ; tail long, of eight vertebrae, half the last osseous 

 vertebra free ; the fourth and fifth fingers terminating in T-shaped 

 cartilaginous processes. 



Pur rather long and dense, scarcely extending upon any part of 

 the membranes or extremities, and leaving the muzzle in front of 

 the eyes nearly naked ; above pale sepia, the basal two thirds of the 

 hairs very pale buff, almost white ; beneath pale buff or dirty white 

 throughout ; ears and membranes pale brown. 



Upper incisors unicuspidate, close to the canines, each with a 

 prominent external basal process ; the single upper premolar large, 

 close to the canine, last upper molar consisting of a narrow trans- 

 verse plate ; the lower incisors are peculiar, each tooth is flattened 

 laterally, so that its long diameter in cross section is at right angles 

 to the semicircular line in which the teeth are placed between the 

 canines ; first lower premolar scarcely half the size of the second, 

 which exceeds the canine in cross section at its base, and nearly 

 equals it in vei'tical extent. 



Length (of an adult 5 ), head and body about 3", tail 2"-3, head 

 l"'l, ear l"-45, tragus 0"'6, forearm 2"-6, thumb 0"'5 ; third finger — 

 metacarp. 2"-4, 1st ph. 0"-9, 2nd ph. 1"'2 ; fourth finger — metacarp. 

 2"-3, 1st ph. 0"-65, 2nd ph. 0"-6 ; fifth finger— metacarp. 2"-3, 1st 

 ph. 0"-6, 2nd ph. 0"-45; tibia 1"-1, foot 0"-5. 



Hah. N.E. Africa; N.W. Himalayas (Gilgit, 5000 feet). 



Otonycteris hemprichii resembles Plecotus auritus very closely in 

 general external structure. The proportional lengths of the bones 

 of the extremities, the form of the ear-conch and tragus, and the 

 structure and mode of attachment of the volar membranes are very 

 similar in both species, which differ, however, very considerably in 

 the shape of the skuU, in dentition, and in the shape and extent of 

 the grooves behind the nasal apertures. 



The only specimens of this species yet obtained are the type in 

 the Berlin Museum from the collections of MM. Hemprich and 

 Ehrenberg, made in Africa, and a weU-preserved skin of an adult 

 female in this Museum, which was brought by Captain J. Biddulph 

 from Gilgit. Prom the latter specimen (which Prof. Peters has 

 very kindly compared with the type) the above description has been 

 taken. 

 CI. ad. sk. Gilgit. Captain J. Biddulph [P.]. 



