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Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXXVII, 



captured on the wing, and we have no evidence whatsoever to support Mr. 

 E. C. Buxton's statement that one species of Taphozous (T. affinis) is a 

 fruit-eater, 1 nor have we found any African microchiropterous bat feeding 

 on vegetable matter. 



During flight when following each other in rapid turns or when moving 

 about on the brick walls, they often fight together and make a screeching 

 sound. 



We found them very numerous in the bushveldt region north of the 

 forest, especially at Niangara, Faradje, and Yakuluku. There were none 

 at Medje, which is situated in the forest. Around Avakubi large clearings 

 are numerous and though situated in the midst of the Ituri forest the houses 

 of this post sheltered a few of these bats throughout the year. Nycteris and 

 Hipposideros, however, were the common bats. We believe therefore that 

 Taphozous mauritianus is typical of the bushveldt country and practically 

 absent from the dense tropical rain-forest. 



The range includes Tropical and Southern Africa, Madagascar, and the 

 Mascarene Islands. 



10. Taphozous Sudani, Thomas. 



This recently described "tomb-bat" has a uniform dark-brown color 

 with only slightly paler under side. Its total length of 4.25 inches (111 mm.) 

 and wing-spread of 15.75 inches (400 mm.) show it to be a bat of somewhat 

 smaller size than T. mauritianus. The greater portion of the wing mem- 

 branes are likewise white and translucent, and there is a naked triangular 

 patch on the forehead in the small depression between the anterior edges of 

 the ears, but the gular pouch is absent. 



About 150 to 200 bats of this species were found in a large fissure in the 

 steep side of a rocky hill a few miles west of Dungu. They were clinging 

 to or crawling along the surface of the rock and by their behavior reminded 

 one strongly of T. mauritianus. They preferred however to stay within 

 the shelter of the darker places, and took wing when disturbed, though they 

 made no vocal noises. They never crawled over each other, but sometimes 

 would sit so close as to form great dark patches against the rock. The 

 contents of the stomach show that they feed exclusively on insects. 



The range of this species, formerly recorded from Mongalla on the 

 White Nile, is extended over 300' miles to the southwest by these specimens 

 collected in the northeastern Uele district. 



1 Dobson, Catalogue of Chiroptera, 1878, p. 390. 



