Rhinolophus pearsonii

Dobson, George Edward, 1878, Rhinolophus, Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the collection of the British Museum, London: British Museum, pp. 100-122 : 108-109

7. Rhinolophus pearsonii .

Rhinolophus pearsonii, Horsfield, Cat. Mamm. Mus. E.I. Comp.

(1851), p. 33; Dobson, Monogr. Asiat. Chiropt. p. 43, figs, a, b

(1876).

Rhinolophus larvatus, A. Milne-Edwards,Mammif. du Tibet, pp. 248,

249, pl. xxxvii. fig. i., xxxvii c. fig. i. (1872).

Rhinolophus yunanensis, Dobson, J. A. S. B. 1872, p. 336 .

Ears large, acutely pointed: outer margin deeply hollowed out beneath the tip; antitragus long, separated from the outer margin of the ear by an acute angular notch. Nose-leaf large; horseshoe broad, projecting laterally and in front beyond the upper lip so as to completely conceal the muzzle when viewed from above; base of the sella between the nostrils moderately broad, the vertical portion maintaining the same width for half its height, then abruptly nar ­ rowing and rounded off above, meeting at the same level (as in Rh.

rufus ) the upper margin of the connecting process, which does not rise above it; terminal leaf short and broadly triangular, sides slightly convex, almost straight. Lower lip with a single groove.

Wings remarkably wide; wing-membrane from the ankle. Tail short and contained, except the extreme tip, within the interfemoral membrane, the posterior free margin of which is concave.

Fur uniformly dark brown above and beneath, very long and dense.

Length, head and body 2"-7, tail O' '-9, head 1", ear 1”, anti ­ tragus O' '-4, nose-leaf 0"-7 X 0"-45, forearm 2"-2, thumb 0''-35, third finger 3"-3, fifth finger 3", tibia 1", foot O''-5.

Hab. India (Masuri, Darjiling, Khasia and Garo hills, Tupai Mukh), Tibet, Yunan (Hotha).

This Bat (easily recognised by the great length of its fur, in which it resembles Rh. luctus ) appears to be an inhabitant of very elevated hill-countries, extending from the N.W. Himalaya, Tibet, and Assam to the mountain-tracts lying between Burma and China.

The type has lain for many years in the collection of the East- India House, packed away among other objects of natural history, until very recently, quite inaccessible to any one. This, and the very imperfect description by Mr. Horsfield, have led to other names being applied to this very well-marked species, which I immediately recognised on examining the type.