p. 169-173 ; 24 cm.Includes bibliographical references

Allen, J. A. (Joel Asaph), 1838-1921.

Cory, Charles B. (Charles Barney), 1857-1921.

American Museum of Natural History Scientific Publications

ARTICLE X.-Notes on a Small Collection of West Indian Bats,with Description ofan appareNtlyNew Species. By J. A. ALLEN.Mr. Charles B. Cory, the well-known ornithologist, has placedin my hands for study a small collection of Bats, gathered by hiscollectors in the West Indies. While the collection embraces onlyabout fifteen specimens, they represent eight species, and comemostly from the smaller and little-known islands. One of thespecies proves to be apparently new to science.1. Vesperugo fuseus Bauv.-A single specimen from Nassau,Bahamas, collected in January, I879, by Mr. Cory, is nearly one-third smaller than average specimens from the United States,with the ears thin and papery instead of thick and leathery, andthe wing membranes very delicate. An examination of the skullshows the specimen to be fully adult. In coloration and in allexternal characters it does not differ appreciably from V. fuscus,which presents a wide range of apparently purely individual varia-tion in color, specimens from the same locality, taken at the sameseason, varying from a light yellowish or golden tint to deep sepiabrown.Following are the measurements of the Nassau specimen, takenfrom the dry skin: head and body, 55 mm.; tail, 35; ear frombase of inner margin, 12; tragus, 5.5; forearm, 33; thumb, 7third finger (metacarpal, 33; ist phal., 13; 2d phal., i8), 64;tibia, I5.5; hind foot, 9.2. Natalus micropus.Xatalus micro.pus DOBSON, P. Z. S., i88o, p. 443.A single specimen from Old Providence Island, 8 ad., May io,I887, seems distinctly referable to this species, described by Dr.Dobson from a Jamaica specimen.3. Noctilio mastivus (DAHL).-One specimen, , ad., An-tigua, April 22, I890. Apparently very distinct from NV. leporinus(Linn.), differing in its much larger size and very differentcoloration.4. Itolossus obscurus Geofr.-One specimen, Virgin Gorda,8 ad., Nov. 30, I889. Above, deep black, the basal half or two-[November, 1890.] [I69]170 Bulletin. American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. III,thirds of the fur nearly pure white; below, plumbeous black, thebasal portion of fur white. Forearm, 37 mm.; third finger, 72,its metacarpal, 38; tail, 4I, its apical half exserted beyond themembrane.5. Mtacrotus waterhousei Gray. - One specimen, Nassau,Bahamas, Jan., I879.I am also indebted to Dr. John I. Northrop, of the ColumbiaCollege School of Mines, New York City, for the opportunity ofexamining three specimens from Andros Island, Bahamas, takenMay 15, i8go.These specimens differ greatly in coloration from M. mexicanusDe Sauss., from Mexico, and also in various structural details, aswill be pointed out later in connection with the Mexican forms ofthis genus.Artibeus " perspicillatus (Linn.)."The Bats of the perspicillatus section of the genus Artibeus(molars j2) from South America, the West Indies, Mexico, andCentral America, present a wide range of variation in size, color,and in the distribution of the fur on the limbs, as also to someextent in the size and formn of the nose-leaf, the tragus, and in thecontour of the skull and the form of the molars. My series oftwelve specimens represents the following localities: Tehuantepec,Mexico, 8 ad. and 9 juv.; St. Andrew's Island, Caribbean Sea,8 ad.; Porto Rico, W. I., two specimerns; Anegada, W. I., twospecimens; Virgin Gorda, W. I., one specimen; Anguilla, W. I.,one specimen ; West Indies (without definite locality), one;Yungas, Bolivia, one specimen; Bogota, United States of Colom-bia, one specimen. The Bolivian example is the largest ofthe series (metacarpal of third finger 66.5 mm.), with the generalcolor sooty brown (the fur much paler at the base than at thesurface, but only brownish gray, not white), with four well-definedand conspicuous light facial streaks, and the fur extending thicklyon the forearm as far as the middle, forming a broad triangulararea.The Bogota specimen and the two Mexican (Tehuantepec)examples come next in point of size (metacarpal of third finger,in 8, 6o mm., in X, 49 mm.), and have about the same distributionNo. i.1 Allen on a Small Collection of West Indian Bats. I7'of the fur on the limbs, but differ notably in color, being of a darkreddish brown above, lighter and with longer gray tips to thehairs below, with the fur everywhere at base very light (palefulvous white), with the light facial streaks indistinct.The specimens from Anguilla, Anegada, and another WestIndian specimen from an unknown locality, are of about the samesize and of nearly the same color as the smaller Tehuantepecspecimen, and have about the same distribution of the fur on thelimbs. In all there is a more or less distinct trace of a grayishline running from the outer margin of the base of the nose-leafto the sides of the forehead opposite the inner base of the ear, oneach side of the face. In all the pelage is more or less rufescent.The Virgin Gorda specimen is of the same size, with the samedistribution of fur, but the pelage is not at all rufescent, beingdark sooty brown above, and a little lighter below, through thestrong grayish tipping of the hairs. The fur is also darker belowthe surface.The Porto Rico specimens are slightly larger (metacarpal ofthird finger 55 mm.). They lack all trace of facial streaks, andthe color is dull smoke brown, witlh the fur scarcely lighter at thebase than at the surface, and restricted to the body, even thehumeri, as well as the forearms and tibiae, being quite naked.The wing membranes are smoother, apparently thinner and moredelicate, and of a peculiar dark, purplish horn color. In size andcolor they closely resemble the Virgin Gorda specimen.The St. Andrew's Island specimen is like the last in size(metacarpal of third finger 55 mm.), but differs greatly from allthe others in color and in the distribution of the fur on the fore-arms, which on the dorsal surface extends densely in a broadband along the humeri and over about the proximal third of theforearm bones. The color above is dark seal brown, the furlighter (smoky gray) beneath the surface; below lighter andmore grayish brown, from the gray tipping the hairs.The skulls of these specimens differ much in size and propor-tions, and the molars also vary in form in the different skulls;but the difference is in part doubtless merely individual. It isworthy of note that while the minute last lower molar is presentin all, the incisors vary in number, the lower incisors being allI72 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History, [Vol. III,absent in one skull, while two are lacking in another, and oneeach in two others, while in still another only three upper incisorsare present. The size of the skull varies from a length of 33 mm.in the Bolivian specimen to 28 mm. in one of the Porto Ricospecimens. The distance across between the outer border of thelast upper molar on either side varies in the same skulls from 14to I 2 mm.The shape of the tragus, particularly the form and position ofits serrations, also varies more or less, as does the size and formof the nose-leaf, but these variations, as well as those of the skulland dentition, prove rather unstable.In respect to coloration the series falls into four pretty strongly-marked groups, as follows,i. Facial stripes four, grayish white, conspicuous; general color above darksooty brown, the pelage below the surface smoky gray. Yungas, Bolivia;I specimen.2. Facial stripes two, grayish, very inconspicuous (no stripe from the angleof the mouth); general color above dark rufescent brown, the pelage belowthe surface nearly pure white. Mexico, Anegada, and Anguilla, W. I.; 5specimens.3. No facial streaks; general color above dark sooty brown, the pelage belowthe surface smoky gray. Virgin Gorda and Porto Rico; 3 specimens.4. No facial streaks; general color above dark seal brown (brownish black),but very little lighter at the base than at the surface. St. Andrew's IslandI specimen.It may be added that none of the specimens have any whitemark of any sort on the shoulder.With the limited material at hand it is impossible to decidesatisfactorily what valLue to accord these striking differences. Itseems probable, however, that they must indicate at least well-marked local phases of a wide-ranging group, and that the Boliv-ian phase may be specifically separable from the West Indian,Bogota, and Mexican forms. In consequence also of the vague-ness of all of the earlier descriptions of the Bats of this group itseems almost impossible to say to which phase belongs the nameVespertilio perspicillatus of Linnaeus and other early authors, or toallocate the various subsequent names currently treated assynonyms of Artibeus perspicillatus.** Some thirty years ago Mr. R. F. Tomes (P. Z. S., i86is, p. 64), after synonymizing underthis name some half-a-dozen of the species of previous authors adds: " After the examinationof many specimens from the West Indian Islands and the continent of America I am fullypersuaded that they are all referable to one species, and that that species is the VespertiliojPer.ticillatus of Linnisus. There is, I admit, considerable difference in the size of differentindividuals, the island specimens being smaller and darker-colored than those from the main-land," etc.No. i.] Allen on a Small Collection of West Indian Bats. I 7*3For the present I am disposed to make the following disposi-tion of the West Indian specimens, believing that the differencesabove detailed are geographical rather than individual, seasonal,or sexual.6. Artibeus jamaicensis Leach (?).-Porto Rico, two speci-mens ; Virgin Gorda, one specimen, 8 ad., Dec. I, I889.7. Artibeus carpolegus Gosse (?).-Antigua, two specimens,8 ad., Dec. 30, I889; 9 ad., April 23, I890. Anegada, onespecimen, , ad., Dec. 3o, I889. Cyrus S. Winch, collector.8. Artibeus coryi, sp. nov.Pelage short, soft, dense, and velvety. Above dusky seal brown, darkestalong the sides of the body and posteriorly; below similar but somewhat lighter,with minute grayish tips to the hairs. The fur is nearly as dark at the base asat the surface, both above and below. No trace of white streaks on the face,nor elsewhere. Ears, nose-leaf, feet, and membranes black.Both above and below the fur extends barely to the edge of the antebrachialmembranes, but a narrow band densely covers the humerus, and proximal thirdof the fore-arm bones. Below the wing membranes are thinly covered with shortwoolly dusky gray fur to a line extending from about the knee to the elbow, andoutwardly for about half an inch beyond the elbow-joint. The interfemoralmembrane is well furred below to a point about opposite the knees. The inter-femoral membrane is supported by well-developed calcanea, and is emarginateto a point a little below the kinees. Ears short, broad, obtusely pointed. Nose-leaf small, pointed, confluent with the muzzle at the base.Dentition as in A. perspicillaus. Inc. , c. , pm. j-, m. 2-_. Length,head and body (from skin), 73.7 mm. (2.90 in.); head, 23 (.go); nose-leaf, 9O5), its free portion 4.6 (.i8); height of ear (from crown), ii.5 (.45); tragus,5. I (.20); forearm, 50.T (2.00); thumb, 6.4 (.25); third finger, 70 (2. 75), -meta-carpal, 56 (2.20), I-st phalange, i8 (.70), 2d ph., 28 (I.I0), 3d ph., 24 (.95);fifth finger, 58.5 (2.30) tibia, 25.4, (I.00); calcaneum, 7 (.27) ; foot, i6.5 (.65)interfemoral membrane from point of emargination, 23 (.90).Type No. 16, Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 6 ad., St. Andrew's Island, CaribbeanSea, Feb. 12, i887; C. B. Cory.This is apparently a well-marked insular form of the WestIndian perspicillatus group. The single specimen on which thespecies is based is an old male, taken on St. Andrew's Island, byone of Mr. Cory's collectors, and presented by Mr. Cory, with anumber of other West Indian Bats, to the American Museum.The species is n med for Mr. C. B. Cory in recognition of hisimportant natural history explorations in the West Indies.

Small collection of West Indian bats

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