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Show 1896.] ZOOLOGICAL EXPEDITION TO MADAGASCAR. 975 INSECTIVORA. Of Malagasy Insectivora 14 species were known when I left Europe, viz. 13 Centetidae and 1 Crocldura, not taking in account one Crocldura apparently introduced from India. All of these, with the exception of three (Echinops, Geogale, and Mlcrogale crasslpes), are represented in my collections. Of one species, viz. Oryzoryctes tetradactylus, wdiich before was known only by one immature specimen in Paris, and one skin without the skull in London, I have brought back upwards of 150 specimens of all ages. Of another rare form, Mlcrogale clobsonl, known only by an imperfect young specimen in the National Museum, there are also numerous specimens. Besides I have come upon 9 new species, all of them Centetidae, bringing the number of this Malagasy family up to 23, the number of insectivorous species brought home by myself being 20, viz.:-1 Crocidura, 1 Centetes, 2 Ericulus, 2 Hemlcentetes, 1 Llmnogale, 4 Oryzoryctes, 9 Mlcrogale. I have elsewherel published short descriptions of most of the new species, but have not yet begun the proper working-out of this rich material; I therefore limit myself to a very few general remarks. The Tanrec, Centetes ecaudatus, which is often considered to be the type of the family Centetidae, is certainly in several respects the least typical of them all, being very much specialized in various directions. One remarkable form, modified for aquatic life, for which I have proposed the new genus Llmnogale (L. mergulus), deserves special mention. It is almost of the size of Mus rattus, furnished with webbed toes, a powerful laterally compressed tail, short, broad, and flattened head, large infraorbital foramen, &c. The clavicles are present, whilst in the African Potamogale they are wanting. Amongst tbe smaller species with soft hair, we meet with all gradations from forms highly fossorial (Oryzoryctes) to others in which the fossorial adaptation is reduced to a minimum, or may be altogether wanting (genus Mlcrogale). Some of these last represent apparently the primitive stock of the family. It is from forms not dissimilar to these that a group of highly specialized African Insectivora may have taken their origin, whilst Centetes, itself a specialized creature, with a brain atrophied before being quite adult, cannot possibly have become the progenitor of fresh offshoots. CHIROPTERA. For want of time the Bats have been only very superficially examined. My last collections having arrived only a short time ago, a certain number of specimens are still enclosed in the tin boxes. There seem to be about 12 species represented, of which one is certainly new for Madagascar ; only one Vespertilio being known, whilst my collections contain specimens of two species of the genus. 1 See Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., Oct. and Dec. 1896. PROC ZOOL. Soc-1896, No. LXIII. 63 |
