A new bat from the eastern United States

Vol.

XXVI,

pp. 183-184 August 8, 1913

PROCEEDINGS

OF IIIV.

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

A NEW ^BAT FROM THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.

BY

^E.

W. NELSON.

The

_discovery of

an undescribed

species ^of bat

from

the

Potomac ^River

^a

^few

^miles

^above Washington and from Vermont

well illustrates

our

^lack of

knowledge concerning

^this

group

^of

mammals.

^It

^was

^first

brought

^to

my

^attention

^{when Mr.}

George

^L.

Kirk

of

Rutland, Vermont,

^sent

me

for identification

two _specimens

collected April 10, 1913, ⁱⁿ a

cave near Brandon, Vermont, where ^{he found}

a considerable

colony

^{of bats}

which had hibernated

there

during

^the

preceding

^winter.

One

of these

two specimens proved

^to

be

_{Myotisluriftigus}

and

the other

appears

^to represent the species

here

described.

The

collection of the

U.

S.

National Museum, including

^{that of} the Biological

Survey, was then examined and two

other

specimens

represent-

ing

^the

same

_species

were

discovered

among

^{theseries of} Myotis lueifugus,

with which _they had been

confused. It

appears

^to

be uncommon

^since

only

^these

two could

be

found among

^the

considerable

number

of

specimens

^{of the last}

named

species

from

various parts ^of the

Eastern United

States in these collec- tions.

Myotis winnemana

sp. nov.

LEAST BROWN

^BAT.

Type from

Plummers

Island,Maryland(in

Potomac

River¹⁰milesabove Washington): ^No. 150,275, adult

6\

^{U. S. National}

Museum,

Biological Survey Collection; ^collected August ^{31, ln<»7,} by ^{Dr. A.} K. Fisher.

Distribution.

— Known

_only ^from type localityand Brandon, Vermont.

Description.

—

_{In general} color closely resembles M. lueifugus but

may

heat oncedistinguished by^its

much

shorterforearm andblackish muzzle.

Color ^of upperpartsdark rufouschestnut-brown with a tinge of golden;

underparts^dull grayish brown; muzzle and ^{sides of} head blackish asin 47—Proc.Biol. Soc.Wash., Vol. XXVI,^1913. (183)

184

Proceedings ^{of the} Biological Society of

Washington.

M.

_californicus;ears

and

feet similarinshape butdistinctlyshorterthan in

M.

_lucifugus

and

about as in

M.

californicusciliolabrum.

Measurements oftype (in flesh).

—

Total length,82

mm.;

^{tail, 39; hind}

foot, 8; forearm, 30.5; extent ^ofwings, ^225.

Skull.

—

Distinctly smaller

and more

flattened thanin M.lucifugus and

more

_closelyresembling ^{that of}

M.

californicus, but even

more

flattened thaninthat_species.

Skull measurements.

—

Basal lengthfromnasalnotchto occipitalforamen, 10.4; widthofbraincase, ^6.8.

Remarks.

— _The

specimen from Brandon, Vermont, ^{is a female} and slightly

more

_richly colored and _larger than the male _(type); this size difference between the sexes being

commonly

^{the case in this} genus.

It also differs from both the

Maryland

specimens ⁱⁿ havinga distinctly

more

flattenedbrain case

and

_longerandproportionately heavier rostrum.

Should otherspecimens from

Vermont

or thesurroundingarea agree with the

Brandon example

^{in theformationoftheskullit}

may

be necessaryto distinguish ^itasa subspecies.

Thisinterestingsmall_speciesis

most

closely related to thecalifornicus section ofthegenus butappears^to have been overlooked

up

^tothe present time _largely through ^its general color resemblance to

M.

_lucifugus. It

may

^{beat once}distinguished from that _species by^its forearm, which is

about4-8

mm.

shorter.

The

skulls of this speciesare a triflelargerthan those of typical californicus, from middle California, with top ^of brain case alittle

more

flattened.

They

agree most_{closely in}size

and

skull out- linewith examples^of M.californicusciliolabrumfrom South Dakota,

and

from _Graybull,

Wyoming,

^{but have}

more

flattened skulls

and

smaller teeth.