1917.] Lang and Chapin, Distribution and Ecology of African Chiroptera. 485 



con. 



...trid. 



The insectivorous bats in this collection, represented by 60 forms as 

 against 8 of fruit-bats, give a fair idea of their relative predominance, since 

 both kinds were collected under equally favorable circumstances. From 

 the number of species described we have 

 reason to think that the same proportion, 

 which we found between fruit and in- 

 sectivorous bats in the northeastern sec- 

 tion of the Congo basin, holds good for 

 the entire West African sub-region. We 

 might thus account for about 180 spe- 

 cies of insectivorous habit in contrast 

 with only 25 of fruit-bats within the 

 same boundaries. Extending the same 

 ratio still further, some 250 species of 

 Microchiroptera may be found to in- 

 habit the entire Ethiopian region; this 

 is considerably more than are recognized 

 at present. 



Yet in spite of their variety the in- 

 sectivorous bats of the Ethiopian region 

 do not show as wide a differentiation as 

 those of the Neotropical region. There 

 is not a single blood-sucking form (Des- 

 modontidse) in Africa, though the large 

 herds of game might be cited as offering 

 opportunities for such feeding habits. 

 Although there is not a single fruit-bat 

 (Pteropodidse) in the Neotropical region 

 in spite of the large number of fruits in 

 its equatorial forests, nevertheless one 

 family of the Microchiroptera, the Phyl- 

 lostomidse, has developed several fruit- 

 eating genera. South America also has 

 fishing bats (Noctilionidse), though posi- 

 tive evidence of bats feeding on verte- 

 brates has yet to be offered for Africa. 

 Pechuel Loesche records from Damara- 

 land (South West Africa), having "found 



repeatedly in places (caves), where bats slept, fresh remains of small lizards, 

 birds, and even Chiroptera." 



Though far richer in species, these insectivorous bats were never such a 



Fig. 16. Hypsignathus monstrosus. 

 Tongue of adult male (No. 48657), from 

 above, f. It shows the form, when ex- 

 tended, characteristic in life, con., conical; 

 cv., circumvallate; fi., filiform; fo., folia- 

 ceous; trid., tridentate papillae. 



