Rhinolophus megaphyllus

Dobson, George Edward, 1878, Rhinolophus, Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the collection of the British Museum, London: British Museum, pp. 100-122 : 110-111

10. Rhinolophus megaphyllus .

Rhinolophus megaphyllus, Gray, P. Z. S. 1834, p. 52 ; Append, to Grey's Journal of two Expeditions in Australia, p. 405; Gould, Mammals of Australia, iii. pl. 33 (1853): Peters, MB. Ahad. Beri. 1871, p. 307.

Ears equal to the head in length, subacutely pointed; the extremity of the ear not attenuated, outer margin concave for a short distance beneath the tip, then slightly convex; antitragus large, separated by a deep notch. Horseshoe-shaped membrane broad, concealing the muzzle, with a small notch in front, behind which a slightly raised narrow ridge extends backwards to the base of the sella; anterior vertical process of the sella slightly narrowed above the middle, rounded off above; summit of the connecting-process rounded, scarcely exceeding the anterior vertical process, and clothed

with a few short hairs; sides of the terminal process of the posterior leaf concavo. Lower lip with three grooves. Wings from the metatarsus. Interfemoral membrane square behind or slightly convex; tail scarcely projecting.

First upper premolar in the centre of the rather wide space between the canine and second premolar, larger than in most other species of the genus, and slightly internal; second lower premolar minute, in the tooth-row.

Length (of an adult ♂), head and body 2", tail 1", head 0"'8, ear 0"-8, nose-leaf O' '-65 x 0"-35, forearm 1"-9, thumb 0"’3, third finger 2”,75, fourth finger 2''-35, fifth finger 2"-45, tibia 0"-8, foot O',-35.

Hab. N.E. Australia (Peak Downs, Moreton Bay, Richmond River, Clarence River).

This species is closely allied to Rh. affinis , and is evidently its Australian representative. It is, however, easily distinguished by the shape of the ears, the inner margin of the ear-conch maintains its convexity from the base to the tip, which is consequently not so acute nor so clearly defined as in Rh. affinis , in which the terminal one sixth of the inner margin is flattened; by the greater size of the horseshoe-shaped portion of the nose-leaf, which quite conceals the muzzle and is distinctly notched in front; and by the attachment of the wing-membrane to the metatarsus instead of to the ankle as in Rh. affinis .

a. ad. sk. (type). (Figured in Voy. ‘Erebus ’ and ‘Terror.’)

b. ad. sk., al. Australia; G. Bennett, Esq. [P.].

c. ♂ ad., al. Peak Downs, Queensland. Godeffroy Museum.

d. ♀ ad., al. Gayndah, Queensland. Godefiroy Museum.

e. ad. sk. Moreton Bay. Purchased.

f ad. sk. Clarence River, N. S. Wales. Purchased.

g. ad.sk. Richmond River, N. S. Wales.