CHAP. XXI.] 
NEW ZEALAND. 
445 
(Scotophilus tuberculatus ) is, according to Mr. Dobson, identical 
with an Australian form, while the other ( Mystacina tuberculata ) 
forms a very remarkable and isolated genus of Emballonuridse, 
a family which extends throughout all the tropical regions of 
the globe. The genus Mystacina was formerly considered to 
belong to the American Phyllostomidse, but this has been 
shown to be an error . 1 The poverty of New Zealand in bats 
is very remarkable when compared with our own islands w T here 
there are at least twelve distinct species, though having a far 
less favourable climate. 
Of the existence of truly indigenous land mammals in New 
Zealand there is at present no positive evidence, but there is 
some reason to believe that one if not two species may be found 
there. The Maoris say that before Europeans came to their 
country a forest-rat abounded and was largely used for food. 
They believe that their ancestors brought it with them when 
they first came to the country ; but it has now become almost, if 
not quite, exterminated by the European brown rat. What 
this native animal was is still somewhat doubtful. Several 
specimens have been caught at different times which have been 
declared by the natives to be the true Kiore Maori — as they term 
it, but these have usually proved on examination to be either 
the European black rat or some of the native Australian rats 
which now often find their way on board ships. But within 
the last few years many skulls of a rat have been obtained from 
the old Maori cooking-places, and from a cave associated with 
moa bones ; and Captain Hutton, who has examined them, states 
that they belong to a true Mus, but differ from the Mus rattus. 
This animal might have been on the islands when the Maoris 
first arrived, and in that case would be truly indigenous ; while 
the Maori legend of their “ ancestors ” bringing the rat from their 
Polynesian home may be altogether a myth invented to account 
for its presence in the islands, because the only other land 
mammal which they knew — the dog — was certainly so brought. 
The question can only be settled by the discovery of remains 
1 Dobson on the Classification of Chiroptera {Ann. and Mag. of Nat 
Hist. Nov. 1875). 
