NEW OR LITTLE-KXOWX BATS 



189 



2. cf imm.; in ale. Mombasa, British East Africa. Collected by Mr. D. J. 



^^lIson. Presented by Mr. G. Waller. British Museum no. 91. 9. 7. 2. 



3. cT ad.; in ale. Fort Johnston, Nyasa; Dec. 1895. Presented by Sir Harry 



H. Johnston. Brit. Mus. no. 96. 10. 28. 12. 



4. Q ad.; in ale. Shire, Lower Zambesi. Collected by Livingstone. Presented 



by Earl Russell. Brit. :\Ius. no. 63. 11. 12. 13. 

 5-7, 9 ad.; in ale. Shupanga, Lower Zambesi. Presented by Dr. J. Kitk. 

 Brit. Mus. nos. 64. 12. 10. 10-12. 



The types of Rh. lobatus, in the Berlin Museum, are from 

 Sena and Tette, Lower Zambesi; nos. 3-7 of the specimens enu- 

 merated above are from the same region. No. 2 extends the range 

 of the species to British East Africa, and no. 1, fi'om the Genoa 

 ^luseum, as far as Gallaland. I am unable to see any appreciable 

 difference between all these examples. 



Affinities. — Rh. alcyone, landeri {^), lobatus, and dobsoni 

 {^) are Ethiopian descendants of the Oriental Rh. mino?^ ^YV^- 

 Their presence in Africa is an evidence, among many others, of 

 a formerly much more intimate land-connection between South 

 Asia and Equatorial Africa. They have, in all essential respects, 

 preserved the cranial and dental features of the Oriental species; 

 also the very characteristic projecting, triangular, pointed connecting- 

 process. But they are on a considerably higher level of develop- 

 ment in the wing-structure (see above, Rh. alcyone) and in the 

 pandurate shape of the sella. 



Rh. landeri and lobatus are very closely related. Rh. landeri 

 has a shorter tibia and tail; tlie skull is rather more slender than, 

 but in other respects quite similar to, that of lobatus; the dentition 

 is the same. It is not unlikely that, w^hen a completer material 

 is to hand, we shall have to regard Rh. landeri and lobatus 

 as western and eastern representatives of one species. 



As to RJi. dobsoni, from Kordofan, I have some doubt that 

 it is distinguishal)le from Rh. lobatus; but having seen only two 

 examples of the former (the type and a topotype), both of them 

 in not quite satisfactory state of preservation, I prefer for the 



{') The following specimens ofB/i. landeri have Leen examined: — Q ad. (in ale); 

 Fernando Po: Zoological Society's Collection; Brit. Mus. no. 55. 12. 26. 250 (type of 

 species). — Q vix ad. (in ale): ?:iloby District, Gaboon; Brit. Mus no. 74. 10. 6. 6. — 

 Skulls of both examples. 



(2) Oldfield Thomas. Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (7) XIV. p. 156 (Aug. 1, 1904) — 

 Specimens examined: — cf ad., Q ad. (in ale); Kordofan: Brit. Mus. nos. 47. 5. 7.45 

 and 47. 5. 7. 49 (type of species). Skull of the type. 



