1851.] species of Birds inhabiting Ceylon. 157 



ridges. Fur of the upper-parts pale greyish-brown at base, then 

 dusky -brown which gives the prevailing hue of the surface, with very 

 slight pale extreme tips. Lower-parts nearly uniform brown, with 

 also slight hoary tips. Membranes dark. The other (H. ater?) is 

 smaller, and possibly a variety only of H. murinus, which (so far as 

 can be traced in the dry skin) it resembles in structure. Colour whitish 

 above, with blackish tips to the fur, the two colours being equally 

 conspicuous ; and below whitish-brown. These Bats cannot be pro- 

 perly described unless when fresh or preserved in spirit. 



The genera Rhinopoma and Dysopus have probably yet to be 

 discovered in Ceylon. No doubt Rh. Hardwickii and D. plicatus 

 exist there. 



Of ordinary Bats (Vespertilionin^e), the Nycticejus Heathii, 

 Horsfield, appears to be very common, as generally over the peninsula 

 of India. In Bengal it is replaced by a smaller species of similar 

 colouring.* N. Belangeri, (Tern.), is common to India generally and 

 the Burmese and Malay countries, being in Ceylon equally abundant. 

 To these Dr. Kelaart adds another of about the same size, which was 

 long ago forwarded from Chaibasa in Central India by Capt. S. R. 

 Tickell, and may now be described as 



N. Tickelli, nobis, n. s. Length 4J in., of which the tail measures 

 2J in. ; expanse 16 in.; length of fore-arm 2f in.; of longest digit 



* N. Heathii, Horsfield, P. Z. S. 1831, p. 113. Length (of an adult male, 

 in spirit,) 6 in., of which the tail measures 3f in. ; alar expanse 16f in. ; fore-arm 

 2f in. ; longest finger 4| in. ; tibia lg in. ; foot with claws f^in. The difference 

 of bulk and of size of the head, on comparison of this with the next species, exceeds 

 that of the linear dimensions. The skull, also, with the teeth, is much larger in 

 N. Heathii, measuring 1^ in. in length, inclusive of the sagittal ridge and more 

 protruding lower jaw ; the upper canines project more than T 3 W in. from their bony 

 sockets. Hab. Central and S. India, and Ceylon. 



N. luteus, nobis, n. s. Length (of a large male) 5| in., of which the tail mea- 

 sures 2\ in. ; expanse 14f in. ; fore-arm 2\ in. ; longest finger 3f in. ; tibia -if in. ; 

 foot and claws \ in. The entire length of skull is barely 1 in., inclusive of the 

 greatly developed sagittal ridge. Hab. Bengal ; Coromandel. 



In structure, both resemble N. Belangeri, and both have the upper-parts, 

 when fresh, of a very rich tawny or golden-brown colour, having a slight greenish 

 cast ; the lower parts fine yellow, more or less deep, and not unfrequently tinged 

 with fulvous. By exposure to light, the colours fade much in both species, the 

 rich yellow tinge gradually disappearing. 



