1917.] Lang and Chapin, Field Notes on African Chiroptera. 543 



branches, perhaps only in the neighborhood of forest brooks. In fact, a 

 female with a young one, four-fifths her size, was taken when felling some 

 saplings to allow a better crossing for our porters. This species evidently 

 is restricted to the West African rain-forest. 



Molossid^e. 



50. Myopterus albatus (Thomas). 



Plate LIII, Fig. 2. 



A large, strangely colored molossid, this bat shows well the distinctive 

 features of the rare genus Myopterus. With a total length of 5.25 inches 

 (133 mm.) and the expanse of the transparent wings 14.7 inches (374 mm.), 

 it is only slightly smaller than Mops congicus. The tail for two-thirds of its 

 length is involved in the interfemoral membrane. The creamy-white 

 under side contrasts markedly with the brown and buff of the upper side, 

 especially in adult specimens, which show the two typical pale buff stripes 

 dividing the brown color of the back into one narrow median and two broader 

 lateral lines. 



When alive Myopterus albatus has more erect and pointed ears than 

 species of other African genera of Molossidse, which have them more 

 depressed and expanding laterally. The whole snout is more cylindrical, 

 the chin is nearly hairless, the lips are rough but not vertically wrinkled, 

 the nostrils do not open on distinct hardened pads, but the nose is smooth 

 and rounded. Below it on the upper lip is an area densely covered with 

 so-called "spoon-hairs." Minute hairs of this kind may be seen in the same 

 position in all the molossids we collected, and they are of regular occurrence 

 on the first and fifth toe in this family. In Myopterus albatus they are 

 especially large on the upper lip and always turned upward in the direction 

 of the nostrils, the lower ones being hooked, whereas most of the upper ones 

 bear a spatulate tip. Such a unique tactile broom right in front of the 

 mouth should be more effective than ordinary vibrissas, and, this species 

 could well be called the "brush-lipped" bat (Plate LIII, Fig. 2). 



The specimens in our collection were taken from a small colony in a 

 hollow tree at Niangara. The natives first secured five females, and the 

 next day caught two more examples, one of which was a male. 



51. Nyctinomus ansorgei Thomas. 



The whole upper side is dark reddish brown of a somewhat singed appear- 

 ance, as the short hair shows curious light tips. The ventral surface is paler, 



