Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon

Chapter 9

SIZE.--As given by Horsfield above.

This bat was first sent from Darjeeling by Mr. J. T. Pearson, and was named after him. It has also, according to Jerdon, been found by Captain Hutton at Mussoorie; it is therefore reasonable to suppose that it inhabits the whole range of the lower Himalayas. One striking difference between it and the last species is the very short tail, and it is easily to be recognised by the great length of the fur.

NO. 43. RHINOLOPHUS AFFINIS.

_The Allied Leaf-Bat_ (_Jerdon's No. 21_).

HABITAT.--Ceylon, Burmah, and perhaps the Malabar coast.

DESCRIPTION.--Above bright red ferruginous brown; tips of hair darker, paler beneath; ears pointed and external; edge deeply emarginated; internal edge and basal third of external surface hairy; anti-helix well developed; nasal process apparently very similar to that of _R. mitratus_ (_Kellaart_). Upper leaf triangular, emarginate at the tip, reaching above the base of the ears (_Jerdon_).

SIZE.--Head and body about 2-3/10 inches; tail, 1 inch; wing extent, 12 inches.

This bat seems to vary much in colour. Kellaart says some are of a brighter red than others, and a few had a yellower tinge. Another marked variety was of a uniform pale yellow brown.

NO. 44. RHINOLOPHUS ROUXI.

_The Rufous Leaf-Bat_ (_Jerdon's No. 22_).

HABITAT.--India generally.

DESCRIPTION.--Ears large, pointed, externally notched; tragus broad; tips of upper nose-leaf triangular, with its sides well emarginate, reaching above the base of the ears; no upper incisors [as in _Megaderma lyra_]; lower molars only five; canines very large; fur short, crisp; colour above smoky brown in some, reddish brown in others, and golden rufous in some; beneath paler.--_Jerdon_.

SIZE.--Length, 2-3/8 inches; tail, 1-1/8; wing expanse, 13 inches.

Hodgson considers this bat as allied to the two following species.

It is the _R. lepidus_ of Blyth.

NO. 45. RHINOLOPHUS MACROTIS.

_The Large-eared Leaf-Bat_ (_Jerdon's No. 23_).

HABITAT.--Lower Himalayas.

DESCRIPTION.--Ears very large, broad, oval, with pointed recurved tip, and a large obtuse tragus; anterior central crest of nose-leaf produced in front over the top of the flat transverse front edge; hinder leaf lanceolate triangular;

SIZE.--Head and body, 1-3/4 inch; tail, 3/4; wing expanse, 9-3/4.

NO. 46. RHINOLOPHUS SUB-BADIUS.

_The Bay Leaf-Bat_ (_Jerdon's No. 24_).

HABITAT.--Nepaul.

DESCRIPTION.--Ears not larger than the head, obtusely pointed and ovoid; nasal appendage quadrate, with a transverse bar nearly surmounting it; upper leaf triangular, with slightly emarginate sides; clear brown above, paler below and on head and face.

SIZE.--Head and body, 1-1/2 inch; tail, 1-1/4; wing expanse, 7-1/2.--_Jerdon_.

NO. 47. RHINOLOPHUS RAMMANIKA (_Kellaart_).

HABITAT.--Ceylon.

DESCRIPTION.--Above rufescent, beneath ashy brown; face slightly fulvous; round the base of the ears and on the sides of the posterior half of the body bright fulvous; tail enclosed in the interfemoral membrane.

SIZE.--Head and body, 2-1/2 inches; tail, 1; wing expanse, 10 inches.

This is a doubtful species. Dr. Kellaart got one from Amanapoora hill at Kaduganava. He says: "As the specimen reached us in a dried condition, we are unable to say anything more about its nasal processes than that in place of a transverse process above the nostrils it had a small triangular peak over the usual horse-shoe process surrounding the nasal opening. This triangular crest was hairy; superiorly there was no appearance of a sac above it to the best of our recollection."

NO. 48. RHINOLOPHUS ANDAMANENSIS.

HABITAT.--Southern Andaman Island.

DESCRIPTION (_apud_ Dobson).--Like _R. affinis_ generally, but the anterior horizontal horse-shoe shaped membrane is very broad, completely concealing the muzzle when viewed from above, as in _R.

Pearsonii_; the posterior terminal leaf is also much longer, produced backwards between the ears, and not concave on the sides as in _R. affinis_. The thumb is also much longer. Fur bright reddish brown above and beneath.

NO. 49. RHINOLOPHUS MINOR.

HABITAT.--Burmah, Yunan.

DESCRIPTION.--Light brown above, greyish brown beneath; ears slightly shorter than the head, sub-acutely pointed; anti-tragus large, separated by a deep angular notch; lower lip with three vertical grooves.

SIZE.--Length of head and body from 1 to 1-3/4 inch.

NO. 50. RHINOLOPHUS COELOPHYLLUS.

HABITAT.--Burmah.

DESCRIPTION.--Fur brown, with whitish roots, light brownish white below; ears large, with pointed tips projecting outwards; "anti-tragus large, separated by an angular emargination from the outer margin of the ear; horse-shoe large; horizontal margins of central nose-leaf triangular, small; erect portion rather short, with parallel sides and rounded summit, meeting the connected vertical process at the same level" (_Dobson_). For a more detailed description see Dobson's Monograph, page 53. Three vertical grooves on lower lip.

SIZE.--Length of head and body about 2 inches.

NO. 51. RHINOLOPHUS GAROENSIS.

HABITAT.--Garo Hills, a.s.sam; Himalayas (Mussoorie).

DESCRIPTION (_apud_ Dobson).--Ears acutely pointed, with a large anti-tragus, as in _R. affinis_; anterior vertical process of the sella maintaining the same breadth upwards and rounded off above, considerably exceeded in height by the upper edge of the connecting process, which develops a long acutely pointed projection; terminal portion of the posterior leaf broad with straight sides, forming an almost equilateral triangle.

Wing membrane from the ankles, inter femoral membrane square behind; extreme tip of the tail free.

SIZE.--Length of head and body about 1.5 inch.

This bat is figured (head only) in Dobson's Monograph, page 48.



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