On some Bats of the Genus Rhinolophus, with Remarks on their Mutual Affinities, and Descriptions of Twenty-six new Forms.
Author
Andersen, Knud
text
Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London
1905
1905-12-31
2
75
145
journal article
http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3757451
d81354de-a914-4582-98be-811adbff11df
3757451
27
a.
Rhinolophus hipposiderus minimus Heugl.
Rhinolophus minimus
Heuglin, N. Act. Acad. Caes. Leon.
-Car. xxix. (1861) p. 6.
Rhinolophus hipposiderus minimus
Andersen, Ann. &
Mag
.
Nat. Hist. (7) xiv. (1904) p. 455.
Diagnosis.
Small: forearm 34'7-38 mm.
Details.
As lately pointed ont by me elsewhere (
Z
. s.
c
.), V. Heuglin’s
Rh. minimus
,
first described from Keren in Erythrea (type in the Stuttgart Museum), is a well-marked geographical race of
Rh. hipposiderus,
differing from the Central European form by its considerably smaller size. At the same time I mentioned that the British Museum possesses an example from Sennar indistinguishable from the type specimen of
minimus
.
A subsequent examination of the whole series of
Rh. hipposiderus
preserved in the British Museum has revealed the rather surprising fact that
Rh. h.
minimus
is by no means confined to Keren and Sennar, but
generally distributed over the Mediterranean Subregion.
It differs from the Central European form in being
in every respect smaller
; in some respects, as it seems,
absolutely
smaller, in others at least on an average. I find the length of the forearm to be the best means for a ready discrimination: in
minimus
,
34'7-38 mm.; in the typical form, 39-41'7 mm. For other details,
cf.
the measurements on p. 143.
The skull is markedly smaller, the nasal swellings a trifle narrower, the teeth slightly smaller.
Distribution.
32 specimens examined. As it is of some interest to have the range of this hitherto overlooked form exactly determined, I subjoin a list of the localities from which I have seen examples, together with measurements of the forearm; it might perhaps lead to further investigation:—
Keren (1, the type): forearm 36'3. Sennar(l): 36-5. Cyprus (6): 347-377. Smyrna (1): 37'5. Malta (8): 36-37. Middle Italy (Ostia 2): 35-7-36-8. Corsica (1): 377. Haute Savoie and Geneva (2): 37’7-38. Balearic Islands (7): 36-2-37'6. Seville t (1): 37
’
7.
Morocco
(Tangiers 1): 37'7. Portugal (Cintra 1): 36-2.
.
Summary of Distribution:—The Mediterranean Subregion, south eastwards to Sennar and Keren. Be it noted: there is no record from Egypt (and, very likely, it does not occur there:
of.
remarks on p. 143).
Remarks.
In the whole series of
Rh. hipposiderus
examined (apart from the British specimens, of course) I have not found any individual which I could not easily refer either to the southern or the northern form. I have some reason to believe that in certain
border districts (e. g.
S.W. Switzerland;
perhaps
also Cyprus) the two forms
occur together,
perhaps side by side, but
intermediate eXamples
I have never seen. They will probably be found.