Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington

VOL. XIII, PP. 159-162

OCTOBER

31, 1900

PROCEEDINGS

OF THE

BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON

A SECOND COLLECTION OF BATS FROM THE ISLAND OF CURAQAO.*

BY GERRIT

S.

MILLER,

^JR.

Mr. Leon

J. Guthrie,

United

States

Weather Observer

at

Willemstad, Curasao, West

_Indies,

has

_recently sent to the

United

States

National Museum

^a

second

collection of bats

pre served

in formalin,_f

Three

species are

added

to the

known

fauna

of the _island,

though two

^{of those}

previously

^obtained,

Myotis nesopolus and Leptonycteris

curasoce, are

not

represented.

The number

of bats

recorded from Curacao

^is

thus

raised to

"six, allof

which

are so far as

known

peculiar to the ^island.

Glossophaga elongata ^Miller.

Twenty-sevenspecimens, taken

from

caves

and

rock fissues in differ ent parts^ofthe _island, but_chieflyfrom _{a large}caveat Hatto, ^acountry estate about _thirty miles from Willemstad.

Among

^{the fifty-six in}

dividualsof thisspecies

examined

fourhavethe incisors noticeablyde fective, whileinonlyoneof these are the teeth absent. This condition

is in

marked

contrastwiththat recently observed by^{Dr. J. A.} Allen in aseriesof thirty-fourspecimens^{of the}closely allied Glossophaga longi-

*Published here

by

permission ^of the Secretary ^of the Smithsonian Institution.

fFor account ^{of the first} cqllection, seeProQ. ^{Biol. Soc.}Washington,

xiii,pp. 123-127, April6, 1900.

34 BIOL. Soc. WASH. VOL. _XIII, 1900. (159)

160

Miller

Second

Collection of

Bats from

^Curacao.

rostrisofColombia.

Here

the incisorswere absentinaboutone-thirdof the individuals,

and

thefull set

was

_presentin lessthanone-half.*

Mormoops

^intermedia sp. nov.

Type

^{adult female} (in alcohol) No. _102,174 United States National

Museum,

^collectedin cave at Hatto, on north coast of Curacao,

West

Indies, April^{29, 1900.}

Characters. Similar to the

Mexican Mormoops

megalophylla Peters, butsmaller, the size intermediate

between

that of the

two

_previously

known

species; colol- (atleast in

brown

_{phase) slightly} darker than in

M.

megalophylla.

Color.

Brown

phase: entire dorsal surfacesepia, the fur palerbeneath the surface,

and

each hair tipped with _light drab.

The

drab _tips pro duce a distinct 'bloom' in certain _lights. Underparts very^paleyellow ish broccoli-brown, lightest on _belly,flanks

and

_{pubic region, faintly} darkeracross chest.

Red

_phase: like

brown

_{phase but} entire pelage suffusedwith cinnamon. Pale _{phase: light} salmon-buff above

and

be low,

becoming more

^{redaboutshoulders}

and

head. Ears

and membranes

dark

brown

inall three color phases. Individuals in the

brown

_phase are themostfrequent; thoseⁱⁿ the red phase ^{are less often}

met

with;

while_{the pale}phase^iscomparatively^rare.

Membranes, ears,

and

other external characters as in

Mormoops mega

lophylla.

Skull

and

teeth.

While

the skull exactly resembles that of

Mormoops

megalophyllatheteeth are distinguishable

by

the greater^size

and

conse quentcrowding^{of the}upperpremolars.

The

anterior premolar ^{is dis} tinctlybroaderthanin

M.

megalophylla

and

it usually ^fills the entire space

between

canine

and

posteriorpremolar.

The

lower premolars^are slightlylargerthaninthe

Mexican

animal.

Measurements. External

measurements

oftypespecimen:^totallength, 80; tail, 20; tibia, 20; foot, 9; calcar, 20; forearm, 48;

thumb,

6.4;

second_{digit, 45;} third _digit, 90; fourth _digit, 6.6; fifth digit, 57; ear from meatus, 14; ear

from

crown, ^9.

Average

^of twenty topotypes:

tail, 20.9_(18-22); forearm, 49.6 (48-51).f

Specimens^examined.

One hundred and

_sixty-four

from

caves

and

rock crevicesinallparts^of theisland.

Remarks.

Mormoops

^{intermedia is} readily distinguishable

from

M.

megalophylla

by

^itssize

and more crowded

_{upper premolars.}

With

the

Jamaican M.

blainmlliiitneedsno comparison.

The

colorphases^inthis bat areverystriking.

Natalus tumidirostris _sp. nov.

Type

^adult

male

(inalcohol) No. 102,106 United States National

Mu

seum, ^collectedin cave at Hatto, on north side of island of Curacao,

West

Indies,

May

1, 1900.

*Bull.

Am.

Mus. Nat. _Hist., N, _{Y., xiii, p. 89,}

May

12, 1900.

fAverage^of twenty specimens^of

M.

megalophylla

from

Mirador,

Vera

Cruz, Mexico; tail, 27.8 (26-32); forearm, 54(53-57).

Miller

Second

Collection of

Bats from

Curasao, 161

Character*. Externally similar to

Mexican

_specimens of Natalus stramineu* Gray, but _fingersshorter

and

ears

somewhat more

_pointed.

Skull with braincase

more

_abruptly elevated than in the

Mexican

species,

and

rostrum conspicuouslyinflated at^sides. Teeth throughout largerthaninN.stramineus, thelower premolarsnoticeably broadened.

Color. Dorsal surfaceuniformcream-buff, the tips of the hairs grad uallydarkening^topale drab; bellysimilar, but the buff _slightly

more

tingedwith yellow

and

the drab less apparent. Ears

and membranes

lightbrown.

Ears.

The

earisessentially as inN. *tram$neu8fb\Lt the point^{is dis} tinctlylonger

and

narrower.

Membranes,feet,

and

other external charactersas inN. stramineus.

Skull.

Though

ⁱⁿgeneralappearance, the skull ^of Natalus tumidiros- trisresemblesthat'ofN. stramineusitisimmediatelydistinguishableby theconspicuously ^{swollensides of} the rostrum.

The

inflation involves themaxillary bones

from

anterior edge ^{of orbit} almost to nares,

and

from near edge^of toothrowto nasals.

As

the nasals retain the normal

form

they appear^to occupy ^{the floor of a} broad, shallow, longitudinal groove. In thetype^{thebraincase rises} above the dorsal plane ^of the rostrumatan_angleof

50,

^inasecond specimen^atan_angleof

58.

In

two

specimens^ofN.stramineus the angle^isrespectively 34

and 40.

In both specimens ^of Natalus tumidirostris the

bony

palate terminates on eachside atthe plane^of the postero-internal angle^of the

crown

of the second molar. In the

median

lineitiscontinued _slightly further

back

along palatal face^of vomer.

The

resultingform ^is strikingly ^different

from

that of the palate ⁱⁿother

members

of the genus. ^{It is} possible, however, ^thatthe palate ^is

normal and

that its peculiarity ⁱⁿ the

two

specimens^isthe result of injury.

As

both skulls were cleaned by an experiencedpreparator thereseemslittleprobability that the palate

was

originally of the usual form.

Teeth.

The

dentition is throughout heavier than inN. stramineus,

and

theform of the individual teeth differs in

many

important^details.

Canines

and

incisors as in N. stramineus. Relative sizeofupperpre molars as in N. stramineus, that^isthe

crown

area decreasing regularly from third to first, the latter equal^toaboutone-half former, but cusp offirstslightlylongerthanthatofsecond. Ineachtooththe transverse diameter is greater relatively to the longitudinal diameter than in the

Mexican

animal.

Upper

molars broader thaninN. stramineus, the posterior

commissure

of protocone ^{of first}

and

second _distinctly

marked

bya rudimentaryhypocone.

The

lower premolars

and

molarsdiffer

from

those^of N. stramineus in greater breadth of crown, ^this character especially noticeableⁱⁿ thesecond

and

third premolars.

Measurements. External

measurements

oftype((J)

and

_paratype(?):

total length, <$ 96,

9

^{94; tail,}

$

^47,

9

^{45; tibia,}

$

^18.4,

⁹

^{17.6; foot,}

cf 7,

98;

forearm,

^

^::36,

⁹

^35;

^thumb,

^cT5,

⁹

^{4.8; seconddigit,}

$

35,

9

35; third _digit,

J

^72,

9

^{69; fourthdigit,}

$

^52,

⁹

^{50; fifthdig-it,}

$

^51,

⁹

^49;,earfrom meatus,

$

^15.4,

9

^{15.4; ear}

from crown

<J 11.4,

9

^12.

162

Miller

Second

Collectionof

Bats from

Curasao.

Specimens^examined.

Two,

^both

from

thetypelocality.

Remarks. This _{species requires} no special comparison with other

members

ofthe genus, ^its

tumid

rostrumatonce distinguishing^it.

Molossus pygmaeussp.nov.

Typeadultfemale(inalcohol)No. 102,104UnitedStatesNational

Mu

seum, collected in an attic near Willemstad, Curacao,

West

Indies, January^{16, 1900.}

Characters. Considerably^smaller than Molossus obscurus; color paler

and molar

teethnarrower thaninthe

mainland

animal.

Color.

Back

broccoli-brown _faintly

washed

with _drab, the hairs whitish gray

through

^basal half, thiscolorappearingirregularly^at sur face. Bellydrab-graythe hairs faintlywhitish through^{basal half.}

Skull

and

teeth.

Except

^{foritssmallersize the skulldoes notdiffer} noticeably

from

thatof

mainland

specimens.

The

crownsof themolar teeth are, however, relativelynarrow.

Rudimentary hypocone

^{of first} upper molarnearly^obsolete.

Measurements. External

measurements

oftype: total length, 86(98)*;

tail vertebra, 34 _(38); tibia, 11.8 _(14); foot, 6.8_(7.8); forearm, 35(39);

thumb,

⁶ (6.4); second digit, 35 _(40); third digit, 70_(78); fourth _digit, 52 (60); fifth digit, 37 _(42); ear

from

meatus, ¹⁰(12); ear

from

crown, 8_(10); width

from

ear, 10_(14).

Cranial

measurements

of type: greatest length, ^14.8 (16.4)*; basal length, 13(14.8); basilar length, 11 (13.6); lachrymal breadth, 4.8(5.4);

least interorbital breadth, ³(4); zygomatic breadth, ^9.6 (.10-6); mastoid breadth, ⁹(10); greatestbeadthofbraincase, 8_(9); depth^ofbraincase,5 (6); mandible, 10.4 (11.8); maxillary toothrow(exclusiveof incisors), 5.0 (6);

mandibular

toothrow(exclusive ofincisors), 6(7).

Specimens^examined. One, the type.

Remarks. Molossuspygmceusbelongs^toagroupof species the

numbers

of

which

areeven smaller than

M.

obscurus

and

itsallies.

The

animal

isprobablyconfined to the islandofCuracao.

*Measurements

in parenthesis are those of anadult femaleMolossus obscurusfrom

La

Guaira Venezuela.