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Show 102 MR. K. ANDERSES' ON BATS [May 10, than, and with very rare exceptions considerably more than, 1| the length of the first phalanx, a peculiarity which is preserved in the subsequent stage of evolution: ferrum-equinum. The aberrant species just alluded to, viz. Rh. nereis, stheno, and thomasi, are, from this point of view, of especial interest, as being Bats of the rouxi type which already show the wing-structure characteristic of the more highly developed affinis. Rh. affinis is larger than rouxi ; but small affinis have the same length of the forearm as very large rouxi. In such cases, Rh. affin is, provided the specimens examined are fresh or preserved in spirit, can, of course, easily be discriminated by the shape of the sella and the length of III.2; if preserved as dried skins (in which the shape of the sella is often difficult to recognise), still the latter character remains unchanged. Colour. The many forms in which this species is differentiated seem to agree, rather closely, in colour :- (1) Darker individuals : g ad., Darjeeling (Rh. a. himalayanus) ; Oct. 22nd ; teeth unworn ; skin :-Upper side " mars-brown " with a rather strong hue of " drab " ; no liorse-shoe patch ; base of hairs " ecru-drab" ; under side " broccoli-brown." Still darker is a 6 ad. from Lombok (Rh. a. princeps) ; teeth somewhat worn ; in alcohol; unfaded :-" Prout's brown " above, base of hairs " wood-brown" ; under side almost " tawny-olive." (2) Light-coloured individuals : ad., Nanking (Rh. a. himalayanus) ; July 5tli; teeth somewhat worn; skin :-Extremely light. Above light " clay," almost " ocliraceous-bufF," hinder back somewhat darker; a rather distinct, " mars-brown " horseshoe patch ; base of hairs " cream-buff" ; under side very light, almost " cream-buff."-A spirit specimen ( S ad.) from the same locality (June 15th) is quite of the same colour. Skull. The essential characters as in rouxi, proving that Rh. affinis originated from a Bat of that type. The skull is generally larger, and the gap in front between the maxillary bones wider. Chief character: the exceedingly short palatal bridge, as a rule only | the length of the maxillar tootli-row, or even less ; in rouxi, with very rare exceptions, decidedly more than .j, sometimes almost g. The teeth, too, are slightly larger. Dentition. p3 external and extremely small; but, as a rare exception, this premolar may still, in this comparatively highly-developed species, show some tendency towards the tooth-row (one skull, out of 19), or be halfway in row (one), p., and p4 generally quite, or almost, in contact (14 skulls); in the remaining somewhat more distinctly separated. pa always in the tooth-row, extremely small, and the interspace between the canine and p+ rather narrow. In no less than five skulls there is an exceedingly narrow, in most cases almost hair-fine, interspace between p2 and pL (the former place of p3). Distribution. From the N.W. Himalayas to S. China ; through Indo-China, the Malay Peninsula, and N. N.atunas, to Sumatra, Java, and Lombok. |