THE GREATER HORSESHOE BAT 



235 



In the skull (Fig. 25, No. i) the palatal bridge is long, very nearly 

 a third of the length of the maxillar tooth-row, a little more or less, but 

 never so short as a quarter. The auditory bullae are small, and the basi- 

 occipital is not specially narrowed between them. 



The anterior upper and central lower premolars are either wanting 

 or minute, and, if present, are squeezed out of the tooth-row externally. 

 The upper canine and posterior premolar 

 overlap, the latter being external. The 

 central and posterior lower premolars are 

 in contact. 



Variation : — Andersen finds a tendency 

 to three grooves on the lower lip, and in 

 the lancet to hastate, sometimes almost to 

 cuneate, shape. 



Geograpliical variation manifests itself 

 in size, especially in that of the forearm 

 the teeth and nose-leaf, and in the length 

 of the tail. Andersen (see above, p. 226) 

 recognises six sub-species, three eastern 

 and three western. The former are Tem- 

 minck's nippon of Japan and south China, 

 in which the size is moderate, the horseshoe 

 broad, and the teeth rather small ; Hodgson's 

 tragatus, of the Himalayas, with large size 

 and broad horseshoe ; and Andersen's 

 regulus of the north-western Himalayas, 

 with narrow horseshoe and highly de- 

 veloped dentition. In all these the size 

 is comparatively large, the tail short, and 

 the two extra mental grooves often present. 

 The three western sub-species are compara- 

 tively small, with longer tails, narrower 

 skulls, and as a rule only one mental 

 groove. Andersen's proximus of Gilgit is 

 short-tailed as compared with the typical 

 form. The latter ranges through southern 

 and central Europe, exclusive of the 

 Iberian Peninsula, to Transcaspia and the 

 Euphrates Valley, and has the forearm 

 usually 57 mm. and upwards. Cabrera's 

 obscurus, of the Iberian Peninsula, the 

 Balearic Islands, and Algeria, is said to differ only in having the forearm 

 rarely exceeding 57 mm. ; since there are doubts as to the validity of 

 that variety, it is necessary to distinguish the British form, which has 



B"iG. 25. — Diagram of Arrange- 

 ment OF Teeth in Rhinolophus 

 ferrum-equinum. 



(l) Upper and (2) Lower Jaw. 



