Genus V e s p e r t j g o , Keys, et Bias.
* Y e s p e r u g o a f f i n i s , Dobson, PL IY, figs. 7 , 8 .
Pipistrettus affinis, Dobson, Proc. As. Soe. Bengal, 1871, p. 211.
Head flat; glands of the upper lip so developed as to cause a deep depression
between them on the face, behind the nostrils. Measured from behind, the ears are
as broad as long; their inner margins are convex, and the tips broadly rounded.
The outer margin of the ear extends from the tip to its termination near the angle
of the mouth, without emargination, and without forming a lobe of any kind; from
the angle of the mouth it is separated by a small wart covered with long hairs.
The tragus is of the shape so common in the species of this sub-genus; its inner
margin is straight, its outer convex upwards, and at the base the usual small triangular
lobe is found. The nostrils open sublaterally, and in the centre of the slightly
emarginate space between them a narrow ridge passes down to the upper lip, as in
the greater number of the species of Lipistrellus.
The wing-membrane is attached to the base of the outer toe, which is shorter
than the others. The tail is long, of nine vertebrae, the last free.
The feet are small, the toes very slender and almost naked.
Above, the fur of the head extends upon the face above the eyes as far as the
glandular prominences of the upper lip, the remaining parts of the face are almost
naked; anteriorly, the ear conch has a few, fine, scattered hairs; posteriorly, about
half the posterior surface from the base upwards is densely covered. The distribution
of the fur upon the wing-membranes is very limited, on the upper surface
being confined to a narrow space along the sides of the body; beneath, its extent is
greater, and a few, fine, greyish hairs are ranged along parallel lines nearly as far
outwards as a line joining the elbow and knee-joints. The fur of the body does not
extend upon the interfemoral membrane, which has but a few almost invisible hairs
scattered over the anterior half of its upper surface, and is covered, beneath, by
very fine, short, greyish hairs arising from the dots on the transverse dotted lines.
On the upper surface chocolate brown, lighter on the head and neck; beneath,
dark brown, with light brown or ashy tips; on the pubes and along the thighs dirty
white or very pale bufl.
Incisors equal in vertical extent; outer incisors acutely pointed, inner obtuse;
first upper premolar minute, acutely pointed, placed inside the line of teeth and not
distinguishable from without.
Length, head and body . , . . . . . . • . 1*9
„ tail . . . . . . . . . . ■. . • 1’05
| head ..................................................................................... 0‘75
„ ear (an te rior ly).............................................................................. . . 0’6
Breadth „ 0'4
Length, tragns ............................................................................0'25
Breadth „ . . . . . . . . . . • • O'lO
Length, forearm . . i. , . . 1'55
Inohee.
Length, thumb . . 0'25
„ second finger . . . . . . . . . . . . 2'8
„ fourth „ 2-0
» tibia ........................................................ 06
» foot and c l a w s ............................................................................... 0'3
Locality.—Bhamô.
This species is allied to V. mourus, Bias., from which it may be distinguished,
however, by the absence of an emargination on the outer side of the ear, and
by the distribution of the fur.
Sub-genus Vespeeus, Keys, et Bias.
* Y e s p e r t j g o a n d e r s o n i , Dobson,. PI. IY, figs. 2 , 6 .
Fesperus andersoni, Dobson, Proc. As. Soc. Bengal, Sept. 1871, p. 211.
Head broad and flat ; muzzle thick ; nostrils opening sublaterally without intervening
emargination ; ears moderate with rounded tips ; inner margin convex, outer
with a shallow but wide emargination beneath the tip, then convex, a.Tid again emarginate
opposite the base of the tragus, terminating by forming a small lobe midway
between the base of the tragus and the angle of the mouth ; tragus obtusely pointed,
broadest in the middle, inner margin straight, outer with a small rounded lobe at the
base succeeded by a shallow emargination, then convex upwards to its junction with
the inner margin.
Toes larger than half the whole foot ; tail of. eight vertebrae, the last free.
The fur of the body and head is moderately long and dense ; anteriorly it passes
forwards upon the face in front of the eyes as far as the com m p.n ppm p.n f. of the
glandular prominences of the upper lip, from which only a few long hairs arise ; that
portion of the face about the eye and in front of the base of the inner margin of
the ear is also naked, but the space between the base of the tragus and thé angle of
the mouth is covered with long hair. In front the ears are naked, except where a
few very short hairs appear on the upper and inner side of the conch; posteriorly,
the fur of the 'head encroaches on their bases, but more than one-half of their
posterior surfaces is naked. On the upper surface, the fur of the back extends upon
the wing-membrane as far as a line drawn from the junction of the proximal and
middle thirds of the humerus to the middle of the femur ; posteriorly, it extends as
far only as the root of the tail, and the interfemoral membrane has but a few very
fine hairs dusted over its anterior surface, as far as the end of the second caudal vertebrae.
Beneath, the distribution of the fur on the wing-membranes is similar to that
on the upper surface, but somewhat more extended ; a line of fine thinly-spread hairs
passes out along the posterior margin of the humerus and forearm to the carpus ;
posteriorly, the fur of the abdomen covers the root of the tail only, and three-fourths
of the surface of the interfemoral membrane is occupied by a few, thinly spread,
very fine, minute hairs.