OCR Text |
Show 1905.] OF THE GENUS RHINOLOPHUS. 79 Type. $ ad. (in alcohol). Lombok, 2500 ft., June 1896. Collected by A. Everett, Esq. Brit. Mus. no. 97.4.18.4. 2. R h in o lo ph u s m e g a p h y l lu s Gray. (Plate III. fig. 2 a, b, c.) Diagnosis. Allied to Rh. simplex, but considerably larger. Forearm 46-50 mm. Details. This is a large continental representative of the simplex-type. The evidences of its close connection with the Lombok species are clear enough : the general shape of the facial portion of the skull; the wide interspace between the upper canine and pl ; the presence, individually at least, of an extremely narrow interspace between p2 and p4; the distinctly constricted sella ; the strong development of the nose-leaves; the large ears. On the other hand, it has in several respects taken its own course of development: the sella is, also proportionately, broader than in simplex, the constriction at the middle is more abrupt; the nasal swellings are, also proportionately, considerably broader; the size of the animal is markedly increased : as regards this latter, Rh. megaphyllus bears quite the same relation to Rh. simplex as Rh. rouxi does to Rh. borneensis. Distribution*. Eastern Australia. Louisiade Archipelago. Geograj)hical races. There are two apparently well-marked forms of Rh. megaphyllus, differing in size and in geographical habitat. 2 a. R htnolophus m e g a ph y l lu s Gray, t y p ic u s . Rhinolophus megaphyllus J. E. Gray, P. Z. S. 1834, p. 52. Rhinolophus megaphyllus (partim) Peters, MB. Akad. Berlin, 1871, p. 306 t ; Dobson, Cat. Chir. Brit. Mus. (1878) p. 110. Diagnosis. Larger: forearm 46'5-50 111111. Sella. In one, out of eleven specimens, the summit of the sella is completely square-cut ; in all the others (some of them from the same locality) it is broadly rounded off. Conf. with this Rh. borneensis. Colour. (1) Dark phase (two skins, one adult and one full-grown, but young) : Like Rh. simplex. (2) Russet phase (one skin, full-grown individual, but young) : Uniform " russet " above and below ; base of hairs of upper side " clay." Measurements. O11 p. 80. Distribution. Eastern Australia : Queensland, New South Wales. Technical name. The type of Rh. megaphyllus is in the British Museum. * The information 011 the " distribution " of the species and subspecies reviewed in this paper is based exclusively on the material examined by myself. + I am unacquainted with Peters's hypothetical Rh. keyensis, based 011 an example in the Leiden Museum, and characterised as " eine vielleicht nur etwas kleinere Varietat [of megaphyllus] oder A r t " {I, s. c. p. 307). No further information has been published, and nine 3-ears later Peters records " Rh. megaphyllus " from the Ivey Islands without any reference to Rh. keyensis (Ann. Mus. Civ. Genova, xvi. (1880) p. 32). It is not very likely that the typical Eh. megaphyllus should occur in the Kejr Islands. |