74 



On all parts of the body the fur is long and soft, and rather silky ; 

 and it is bicoloured above and beneath. That of all the upper parts 

 is black at the base, more or less tipped with shining yellowish- 

 chestnut, on the head and neck scarcely perceptible, but becoming 

 more marked towards the middle of the back and on the rump, 

 where it is much the brightest. Some of the darker examples of 

 V. mystacinus bear some resemblance to the present species in this 

 respect, but are less bright. Beneath, the fur is dead black, with 

 the tips of the hairs greyish-brown, a little paler on the pubes. 



Membranes and naked parts dark brown. The complete ossifica- 

 tion of the finger-joints indicates that the specimen is adult; but the 

 sex has not been ascertained. 



Length of the head and body ........ 1 6 



of the tail, about 1 0 



of the head , 0 6 



of the ears 0 4 



of the tragus 0 2\ 



of the fore-arm 1 2\ 



of the longest finger 2 2 



of the fourth finger 1 6 



of the thumb 0 2 



— of the tibia 0 6 



of the foot and claws 0 2| 



Expanse of wings 8 6 



Hab. I received this with a number of other Indian species from 

 Mr. Warwick, with the statement that they all formed a part of a 

 collection made by Capt. Boys. Amongst them were several speci- 

 mens of Scot.coromandelicus; and the present species was confounded 

 with them, until they were mounted for the cabinet, when the dif- 

 ferences became sufficiently obvious. 



4. Vespertilio sericeus, n. s. 



A species remarkable for the great beauty of its fur, which is 

 thick, very soft, and with all the gloss of unspun silk. In size and 

 proportions somewhat similar to V, nattereri, and the crown of the 

 head elevated about as in that species ; but the muzzle, although 

 pointed, relatively a little shorter. Unfortunately the ears and tragi 

 have been so much injured as to render it impossible to give an 

 exact description of them ; but it is evident that the ears were rather 

 narrow, and more or less emarginate at their outer margin ; and that 

 the tragus was long and narrow, may be seen from what remains of 

 one of them, the end only being lost. 



The organs of flight are of medium size and proportions ; the 

 thumb is rather long, and has the basal phalange short, and the 

 claw long and slender, with but a slight degree of curvature. The 

 wing-membranes spring from the base of the toes. The feet are 

 rather large, — the toes taking up a little more than half their entire 

 length, and armed with claws, which, like those of the thumbs, are 



