Rhinolophus nereis, Andersen, 1905

Andersen, Knud, 1905, On some Bats of the Genus Rhinolophus, with Remarks on their Mutual Affinities, and Descriptions of Twenty-six new Forms., Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 2, pp. 75-145 : 90-91

9. Rhinolophus nereis , sp. n.

(Plate III. fig. 7 a, b, c.)

“ Rhinolophus rouXii ? ” (non Temnm.) Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., Proc. Wash. Ac. Sci. ii. (Aug. 20th, 1900) p. 234.

Diagnosis. Allied to Rh. borneensis , and of about the same size, but with much larger skull and teeth. Lower leg considerably longer: 2 mm. Tail comparatively very short: 7 mm. Forearm about 45 mm.

Details. In addition to the above:—The second phalanx of the third finger is more than 1 k the length of III.1; this is the first time we have to note a decisive lengthening of III.2; in Rh. borneensis , as in all the foregoing species. III.2 (always, in this paper, measured without the terminal cartilaginous rod) is invariably less than 11/2 the length of III.1; compare with this Rh. stheno , thomasi , affinis , ferrum-equinum . IV.1 is comparatively Shorter than in Rh. borneensis , only about 5 the length of the metacarpal of the same finger; compare with this Rh. stheno .

Colour. ♀ ad. (type); September; teeth almost quite unworn; first preserved in formalin, now in alcohol; probably unfaded.— “ Mars-brown ” above; base of hairs “ ecru-drab ”; of a peculiar yellowish “ drab ” beneath ('? the yellow due to the influence of formalin).

Skull. Of the same general shape as in Rh. borneensis , but much larger, with considerably larger teeth, and therefore longer tooth-row; orbital constriction very narrow. The following measurements, in millimetres, will give a more precise idea of the differences (the ciphers in brackets are the measurements of eleven skulls of Rh. borneensis ): — total length, inion to front

of canine 2 "2 [18 ’ 2-20"; length of brain-case, inion to anterior point of proencephalon 3 ’ 7 [11 ’ 3-2 ’ 5[; width of brain-case above zygomata 9 ’ 5 [*9 —8'21; zygomatic width 10'8 [9—9'9j; maxiliar •width, across antero-exterior corners of m3 8’5 [6'8-7'2]: interorbital constriction 2 ’ 2 [2'4-2'8]; palatal bridge, median length 2 ’ 6 [’ 8-2'3]; maxillar tooth-row 8’7 [7-7'6]; extreme width of m1 2'2 [1'5-1'9J.

Dentition. I have not seen the mandible of this Bat. p2 in

row; cusp almost imperceptible.

Measurements *. On p. 92.

Type. ♀ ad. (in alcohol). Pulo Siantan. Anambas Group: September, 1899. Collected by Dr. AV. L. Abbott. Un. St. Nat. Mus. no. 101714 .

Remarks. As already pointed out above, the Bats of the borneensis type inhabiting the S. Natuna and Karimata groups, rather close to the north-western and western coasts of Borneo, are so extremely like the typical borneensis as to be, perhaps, scarcely separable. But farther westwards, on the much more isolated Anambas Islands, the borneensis type has developed into the present, peculiarly modified species. In the lengthening of III.-, the shortening of IV.1. and the shortening of the tail (compared with the tibia). Rh. nereis has taken the same course as the still more western Rh. stheno (described below). But the shape of its skull sufficiently proves it to be an offshoot, not of that species, but of Rh. borneensis . Compare with this the “ remarks under Rh. stheno .