sides disappearing in rear with a slope exhibiting two rather deep notches on either side. The furcula is strong, moderately bowed outwards, but very round at its junction with the keel, and curved highly in the culmenal direction so as to fall in with the high convex sweep of the sternal keel. The furcula is not anchylosed with the head of the sternum as in the largest migratory Storks and Cranes. The clavicles are very strong and have very powerful and large crura. (See sketch). ; Soft anatomy. The intestinal canal is little more than one length of the bird from tip of bill to tip of tail; about 1 of the skeleton ; 28 to 30 inches in length, and of large diameter. Cœcum 7 to 8 inches long, dilating globosely towards the blind end, and situated 5 to 6 inches from anal extremity of intestines. Stomach 8 inches by 2, along greater and lesser arches, a sub-gizzard. Outer coat of considerable, unequal thickness, but much below the true gizzard type in muscular mass, and the muscle pale and flaccid. Inner coat leathery and striated. Shape of stomach more or less ovoid; its upper oriface central; its lower, terminal. Towards the latter a curved constriction dividing a small glandulous, from the general triturant portion of the organ. No trace of gular sac. Tongue medial, simple; its tip subbifid. This bird is congeneric with the Likh (Auritus) which Mr. Gray separates from Otis and places in Lesson's Genus Sypheotides, hodie Eupodotis. I had named the form, Oticulus. The Slaty blue Megaderme. Megaderma schistacea, N. S.-By B. H. HODGSON, Esq. It is very VESPERTILIONIDE. RHINOLOPHINÆ. (PHYLLOSTOMINE of Gray.) Megaderma schistacea, mihi. Habitat, Northern Bengal towards the Tarai. seldom that the observer of Nature has an opportunity at once and adequately to describe a species in its habits and mature form, and when the opportunity occurs it should never be neglected, since a great deal of most unprofitable labour in the gradual rectification of those inadequate descriptions which are the inevitable consequence of the ordinarily limited means of observation, is thus prevented. Chance lately threw such an opportunity in my way in regard to a species of the Bat kind; and, though the 80 genera and innumerable species of the Vespertilionidæ, might well alarm an unprovided field Naturalist like myself, I trust I shall be able to see my way through a fitting description without the spectacles of Library and Museum. Arriving recently at the staging Bungalow of Siligori, on the verge of the Sikim Tarai, I found that hospitium scarcely habitable owing to the stench of Bats, and was told that orders had already been issued for the ejection of these unwelcome tenants by the removal of the false roof, between which and the external pent roof the creatures had domiciled themselves, so securely and in such numbers that summary measures of ejectment had become indispensable. I waited to see and profit by these measures, and so soon as the false or flat canvas roof was partially removed, I beheld innumerable (2 to 300) Bats clinging in the usual inverted manner to the pent roof. Presently they were most of them on the wing. Many escaped by passing between the wall and eves, their usual way of egress prior to this disturbance. And these fled, freely through the mid-day sun, to the proximate out houses. Many more were struck down by my people whilst attempting to pass out by the doors; and thus, in half an hour, I became possessed of some 50 to 60 specimens, when the slaughter was suspended by my orders my specimens and observations then and for 10 previous days having left me nothing further to learn, and the wanton destruction of the poor creatures being shocking to me, how amusing soever to the group of natives, who moreover declared that the Superintendent had commanded the whole to be destroyed. My ample spoils were procured towards the close of February under the circumstances just stated, and the examination of them, coupled with the observations of the preceding ten days of my residence at the Bungalow, put me in possession of the following numerous and decisive particulars as to the habits of the animal, to wit, that this species of Megaderme is extremely gregarious, and dwells in the dark parts of houses and out-houses, not concealed in crannies or holes, but openly suspended from any convenient rest; |