The mammals of Suriname

The Mammals of Suriname BY A.M. Husson Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden Published with financial support from the Netherlands Organization for the Advancement of Pure Research (Z.W.O.) ISBN 90 04 05819 2 Copyright 1978 by E. J. Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands All rights reserved. No part of this hook may be reproduced or translated in any form, by print, photoprint, microfilm, microfiche or any other means without written permission from the publisher PRINTED IN THE NETHERLANDS To the memory of Prof. Dr. H. BOSCHMA (1893-1976) this book is dedicated Contents Concordance of Illustrations xn Preface (by L. B. HOLTHUIS and M. BOESEMAN) xni Introduction XVII Class Mammalia i Order Marsupialia 4 Family Didelphidae 8 Caluromys 8 Monodelphis xi Marmosa 14 Metachirops 24 Metachirus 28 Didelphis 30 Chironectes 36 Lutreolina 39 [Order Insectivora] 4° [Family Soricidae] 4° [Blarina] 40 Order Cliiroptera 4 1 Family Emballonuridae 45 Subfamily Emballonurinae 45 Rhynchonycteris 4^ Saccopteryx 54 Cormura 62 Peropteryx 65 Peronymus 66 Centronyderis 67 Subfamily Diclidurinae 69 Di clidurus 69 Family Noctilionidae 7 1 Noctilio 72 Family Phyllostomidae 77 Subfamily Chilonycteiinae 7^ Chilonycteris 7^ Subfamily Phyllostominae 80 Micronycteris 83 Macrophyllum 86 Tonatia 88 VIII CONTENTS Mimon 91 Authorhina 95 Phyllostomus ; 97 Trachops 105 Vampyrum 107 Subfamily Glossophaginae 113 Glossophaga "4 Choeroniscus n8 Lichonycteris 119 Anoura 120 Lonchophylla 125 Subfamily Carolliinae 126 Carollia 127 Rhinophylla 133 Subfamily Sturnirinae 134 Sturnira ' 135 Subfamily Stenodermatinae 138 Uroderma 140 Vampyrops 143 Chiroderma 145 Artibeus 146 Pygoderma : 153 Ametrida 155 Family Desmodidae 158 Desmodus J 59 Family Furipteridae 164 Furipterus 164 Family Thyropteridae 166 Thyroptera 166 Family Vespertilionidae 169 Myotis 170 Eptesicus 179 Lasiurus 181 Dasypterus 184 Family Molossidae 186 Molossops : 187 Tadarida 189 Eumops 193 Molossus 199 Order Primates 206 Family Cebidae 209 CONTENTS IX Chiropotes 209 Pithecia 211 Alouatta 214 Cebus 2l8 Saimiri 226 Ateles 229 Family Callitrichidae 232 Saguinus 232 Order Edentata 236 Family Myrmecophagidae 239 Myrmecophaga 239 Tamandua 241 Cyclopes ! 245 Family Bradypodidae 247 Bradypus 247 Choloepus 251 Family Dasypodidae 253 Euphractus 254 Priodontes 258 Cubussous 259 Dasypus 261 Order Carnivora 267 Family Canidae 272 Cerdocyon 272 Speothos 274 Family Procyonidae 277 Procyon 77 Nasua 28i Potos 285 Family Mustelidae • 290 Galictis 290 Eira 295 Lutra 300 Pteronura 303 Family Felidae 308 Leopardus 308 Puma ...................................... Herpailurus 323 Panthera 326 Family Viverridae Herpestes 33i CONTENTS X Order Sirenia 334 Family Trichechidae 334 Trichechus 334 Order Perissodactyla 340 Family Tapiridae 340 Tapirus 340 Order Artiodactyla 345 Family Dicotylidae 347 Dicotyles 349 Tayassu 353 Family Cervidae 356 Odocoileus 356 Mazama 361 Order Lagomorpha 369 Family Leporidae 369 Sylvilagus 369 Order Rodentia 372 Family Sciuridae 380 Sciurillus 38o Sciurus 383 Family Cricetidae 388 Oryzomys 388 Neacomys 4°6 Nectomys 4°8 Rhipidomys 412 Zygodontomys 415 Holochilus 419 Sigmodon 427 Family Echimyidae 429 Proechimys 429 Mesomys 438 Echimys 440 Makalata 445 Family Caviidae 449 Cavia 449 Family Hydrochaeridae 45 1 Hydrochaeris ; 45i Family Dasyproctidae 457 Dasyprocta 457 Myoprocta 4^8 CONTENTS XI Family Agoutidae ,„ 2 Agouti i / Family Erethizontidae 47 g Coendou .................................... Sphiggurus I / Family Muridae 0 Rattus 493 Mus ' ' " Rodents incorrectly assigned to the Suriname fauna 512 Order Cetacea - Family Physeteridae Physeter * Family Delphinidae Sotalia ,-16 Family Balaenopteridae r™ Balaenoptera ............................ Literature 2 g Index of geographical names Index of mammalian scientific names Index of mammalian vernacular names 561 Index of non- mammalian names Plates 1-151 Concordance of Illustrations The illustrations are placed as follows: The 151 black and white plates (pis. 1-151) are placed at the end of the book. Of the 10 coloured plates one is the frontispiece, the other 9 (pis. A-I) are placed in the text as follows: pis. A-H between pp. 446 and 447, pi. I opposite p. 518. The 52 text-figures are placed on the following pages: Maps i to 3 are placed on pp. xxiii, xxv, and xxvii respectively. fig- p- fig- P- fig- P- fig- P- I xxii 14 75 27 124 40 37i 2 3 15 81 28 131 4i 376 3 5 16 84 29 138 42 381 4 7 17 87 30 141 43 390 5 42 18 88 3i 154 44 433 6 43 19 92 32 160 45 442 7 44 20 94 33 161 46 447 8 46 21 96 34 172 47 454 9 49 22 103 35 178 48 49 1 10 5i 23 106 36 188 49 495 ii 52 24 109 37 191 50 496 12 56 25 116 38 256 5i 514 13 58 26 121 39 286 52 526 Preface A few remarks should be devoted here to the rather complicated history of the present work and to explain some its inconsistencies. Soon after his appointment in 1950 as curator of the Division of Mammals of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie at Leiden, Dr. A. M. Husson became in- terested in the fauna of tropical America, well represented in the Museum collections. Especially the material of Suriname Mammalia is quite rich both in the old collections and in more recent acquisitions. Much excellent material was donated by Dr. D. C. Geijskes during the period (1938-1965) that he resided in Suriname, while also from other sources important additional material was received. In 1957 Dr. Husson published his first contribution to the mammal fauna of Suriname, dealing with the primates of the country, a study mainly based on collections made during the 1948-1949 Suriname Expedition. This paper was followed by a few smaller publications, and, in 1962, by Dr. Husson's treatise on "The bats of Suriname" (Zool. Verhand. Leiden, no. 58), in which the Suriname Chiroptera were exhaustively dealt with: not only their taxonomy, but also aspects of nomen- clature, biology and history being treated in detail. Soon after the publication of this book, Dr. Husson, together with his assistant Mr. P. Staffeleu, left for Suriname. There, during more than half a year (December 1962 to July 1963), they visited numerous localities and brought together an impressive collection of Suriname mammals. During his stay in Suriname Dr. Husson was approached by several people, especially by agriculturists, foresters and members of the Health Department, with the request to publish an easy guide to the mammals of Suriname, in order to facilitate the identification of several of the harmful species (like agricultural and horticultural pests, transmitters of diseases, etc.), as well as of the species that were either regularly seen around Paramaribo or observed elsewhere in Suriname. Even a simple check-list was considered very useful, as there still existed much uncertainty as to the number of species by which several of the well-known groups (e.g., monkeys, deer, pigs, cats., etc.) were represented in Suriname. Of course no one realized the enormous amount of labour involved in the prepara- tion of an "easy" guide or of a "simple" check-list. To examine Suriname material in Dutch and foreign musea, to gather and evaluate the records of Suriname mammals scattered in the literature, to find the true relation between the Suriname mammal populations and those of surrounding areas, and last but not least, to decide upon the proper nomenclature for the Suriname mammals, is more time consuming than it might seem at first sight. Even Dr. Husson himself, as well as the museum author- ities, grossly underestimated the time needed for the project. The fact that Dr. Husson's health did not permit him to work as intensively as he would have liked to do, also was a factor of importance here. PREFACE XIV In the course of Dr. Husson's work at his "guide" numerous interesting data came to light, which fully deserved publication, but were out of place in a "guide book". Therefore, after ample considerations, the original idea of producing a simple handbook with short general diagnoses of the species and brief accounts of biology and distribution, was abandoned in favour of a more basic monograph bringing together as much information concerning the Suriname mammals as would prove feasible. The emphasis of the book was placed on Suriname, i.e., the descriptions are based almost exclusively on Suriname specimens; observations on the biology as a rule are those made in Suriname; the general distribution of the species and/or subspecies is only briefly stated, but considerable attention is given to the occurrence of the species within Suriname, with mention of all the Suriname material examined. This change in the perspective of the book caused great delay as it necessitated rewriting of considerable portions of the text. Dr. Geijskes, who in 1965 returned to Holland after his retirement as director of the Surinaams Museum at Paramaribo, suggested that descriptions and figures of skulls be included, especially of game animals. During his travels in the interior of Suriname, namely, Dr. Geijskes had often observed skulls of various mammals near or in native dwellings or serving as ornaments; these mammals evidently had been used as food. The identification of such skulls could contribute to a better understanding of the food habits and of the hunting by the natives. Dr. Husson accepted this suggestion and extended his manuscript in such a way that of every species a description and a figure of the skull is given. This too caused a further delay. When in 1972 it became clear that the publication of the present book would not take place in the near future, Dr. Husson, in order to comply with the rather urgent requests from Suriname, drew up a check-list of all mammals species known at that time from Suriname, which list was published early in 1973. In 1975 Dr. Husson's health deteriorated to such an extent that in October he was forced to retire and he left Leiden. During the last few months of his stay in Leiden he had worked feverishly to finish his manuscript, often starting at 4 o'clock in the morning. The result was that in October most of the text for all groups, with the exception of the Chiroptera, was written, and was brought up to the high standard that Dr. Husson had set himself; only in the Edentata the descriptions are less extensive than in the other groups. At first it was thought acceptable to publish the book without the Chiroptera, but on further consideration this was thought inadvisable. The following solution was found: the editorial board, with the active help of Dr. Husson, compiled the text of the present chapter on the Chiroptera from Dr. Husson's 1962 monograph; the paragraphs giving the original description, type locality, references to published synonymies, vernacular names, distribution, and occurrence in Suriname, were adapted to be conform with the rest of the text. To the paragraph on the occurrence in Suriname an enumeration of the Suriname material received by the Museum PREFACE XV since 1962 was added and the information was brought up to date. Of each species, the description was taken almost verbatim from Dr. Husson's 1962 thesis, while the paragraph "Remarks" was greatly shortened: all remarks on the taxonomy and nomenclature of the species were omitted, but important data pertaining to Suriname representatives of the species were left in and new data added. Also the species discovered in Suriname after 1962 are included; the text dealing with these species, written by Dr. Husson or compiled from his notes, of necessity had to remain relatively short. In this way the chapter on Chiroptera has been brought entirely up to date, although regrettably it could not be made fully conform the rest of the text. We are very grateful to the late Prof. Dr. H. Boschma, who read the entire text and made many extremely useful suggestions, grammatically and otherwise. Dr. D. C. Geijskes was so kind to provide us with numerous interesting details on the biology of various of the species, based on his own observations. The Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie takes great pride in publishing this outstanding work, which is a tribute to the great knowledge, energy and perse- verance of Dr. Husson. Leiden, December 1975 L. B. HOLTHUIS M. BOESEMAN XVII Introduction The knowledge of the fauna of Suriname is of essential importance in the study of the neotropical Mammalia. The first publications containing information on mammals of Suriname appeared very early in the history of European exploration of South America. Such publications were relatively numerous in the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands was at the peak of its power, and Suriname was one of its richest colonies. At that time many animals, alive or preserved, were sent from Suriname to the Netherlands. The living specimens were kept in Dutch menageries, while skins and alcohol specimens found their way to private natural history collections (“cabinets of rarities”) of which at that time there was an impressively great number in Holland (see Engel, 1947); several foreign collections received material via the Netherlands. In many instances the Dutch collections formed the basis for, or contributed considerably to, important zoological publications, like those by Albertus Seba (1665-1736), Petrus Artedi (1705-1735), Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778) and Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811). Linnaeus (1758), in his fundamental 10th edition of Systema Naturae, based many of his descriptions on Suriname material, either by directly studying this (when in Holland, 1735-1738, Linnaeus must have seen much Suriname material in Dutch collections, while Swedish naturalists like C. G. Dahlberg (1721-1781) and D. Rolander (1725-1793) sent Suriname specimens to Swedish collections), or by referring to previous publications like that by A. Seba. Thomas (1911: 124), when dealing with the type localities of the mammals described by Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his Systema Naturae, stated: “with regard to species named from the figures in Seba’s ‘Thesaurus’, it would not be unjustifiable to suggest that in the case of all tropical South American animals, Surinam — the great source of all Dutch collections — should be accepted as the type locality ....”. No less than 24% of all species of mammals known from Suriname have Suriname as the type locality. It goes without saying that for a better understanding of the relation between the various species, and that between the various subspecies of a single species, it is essential to know the characters of the population of the type locality and of its variability. Therefore, in the present work I have tried to give of every species a description based exclusively on the Suriname material examined by myself (of course with the exception of discoloured, mutilated or abnormal speci- mens) and also to provide as many illustrations as feasible of such material. I hope, by giving this information, to enable students of the faunae of other parts of South America to obtain a better idea of the status of the Suriname populations. The second object of the present book is to provide a reliable guide for the identi- fication of the species of Suriname mammals, not only to professional zoologists, but also to agriculturists, ecologists and others who in their work in Suriname have XVIII INTRODUCTION With few exceptions the order of the taxa treated in the present work, is the same as that adopted in the fundamental check-list of South American mammals by A. Cabrera (1958-1961). Of all orders diagnoses are provided. Of the species the following information is given: (a) the scientific name; (b) a reference to the original publication of the name; (c) the type locality, and if this is restricted, how and by whom it has been restricted; (d) synonymies, viz., references to authors providing a good synonymy of the species or subspecies; (e) vernacular names in English (E), Dutch (N), and Sranan- tongo (S), the latter being the official Suriname language; here only the better known vernacular names are listed, a more complete account of them can be found in a paper by Staffeleu (1975); (f) distribution, giving the general distribution of the species, and, if pertinent, of the subspecies; (g) occurrence in Suriname, giving a general statement of the known ecological and geographical range of the species within Suriname, with a complete list of the examined Suriname material, and, if available, references to previous Suriname records of the species 1 ; (h) description, 1 Many of the records of Suriname mammals published in the literature, and especially in popular literature, narratives, etc., are rather vague and it often is impossible to ascertain which species actually is meant, even when a scientific name is given. Also in many instances references are very general and do not give any new information. For these reasons I have refrained from to deal with mammals, be it for their control or their protection; furthermore it is intended for anyone (e.g., hunters and naturalists) who just wants to know more about the fascinating creatures that inhabit this beautiful and interesting country. Therefore keys are provided to all the species. In most cases there are two sets of keys, one based exclusively on external characters, the other only on characters provided by the skull. The keys to the skulls are added because skulls and skull fragments of animals hunted or used as food are often found as offal in or near settlements in the interior or as signs of good luck fastened to the roofs of Amerindian and Bushnegro dwellings. In the keys I have tried to employ such characters as are normally still noticeable in the fragments that one usually finds. Another use for the keys to the skulls is to identify skull fragments of small mammals (especially Marsupialia and Rodentia) found in owl pellets or in stomach contents. In some groups the species are very difficult to distinguish on external characters alone, and then the skull characters may be decisive for a certain identification, this being especially true for some groups of Marsupialia, Chiroptera, Cricetidae and Muridae. Illustrations are added as a help with the keys. In using the keys one has to keep in mind (1) that they are based on characters of adult animals in which all molars are functional, and therefore not necessarily will give good results for juveniles, (2) that notwithstanding the long period in which the Suriname mammals have received the attention of zoologists, the Suriname mammal fauna still is far from well known (especially from the interior), and that there undoubtedly are several species which so far have not yet been reported from the country. Therefore a careful comparison with the description and illustrations is most advisable. INTRODUCTION XIX giving the description of the external characters of the Suriname specimens examined and a short account of the skull characters; (i) remarks, a paragraph containing miscellaneous information, e.g., whether or not the species is harmful or otherwise of direct interest to the economy or health, an account of what is known about the biology of the species, based mainly on Suriname sources, problems of nomenclature of the species, and scientific names under which it has been reported from Suriname. Due to reasons explained in the preface the treatment of the Chiroptera is some- what different from that of the rest of the Mammalia. Practically all descriptions of the Chiroptera are the same as those published by me in 1962, and often not exclusively based on Suriname material. Because the bats were extensively dealt with in my 1962 "The bats of Suriname", fewer details of taxonomic, nomenclatural and other aspects are given; for these, reference is given to my 1962 paper. All information on the Suriname Chiroptera obtained by me after 1962 is included in the present publication. The preparation of the present paper showed time and again how incomplete our knowledge of the Suriname mammals still is. Of many species extremely few specimens are present in Museum collections, not only of the rarer species or those that are difficult to catch, but also many common species, and even well known game species. The preparation of scientific specimens of larger animals is cumber- some, while most hunters prefer to keep trophies themselves. It cannot be emphasized enough that material of most species is badly needed for study collections in order to permit scientists to obtain a good idea of the variation of the various characters of a species within a certain area, of its range within the country, and of its habitats. The fauna of large areas in Suriname is still completely unknown. A very good example of the situation is the case of Sylvilagus brasiliensis, which an expedition reported as having been used as food, and which in collections is only represented from Suriname by a very young specimen and some droppings. The neighbouring countries do not fare much better. Of neither French Guyane nor of Guyana a comprehensive account of the Mammalia has been published, although considerable information is scattered over numerous scientific publications. Ihe papers by Tate (1939) and Roth (1941) are of great value in this respect. ILLUSTRATIONS Of practically all species dealt with here illustrations are provided, if possible based on adult Suriname specimens. These illustrations are of various origin. All the non-photographic illustrations were made by the staff-artists of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie. The coloured plates (A-I and frontispiece) tr ying to list under each species all previous Suriname records known to me and only discussed the more important ones. Newspapers like "De West", "De Surinamer", etc., although they may contain interesting records of Suriname mammals, have only incidentally been cited, simply because these publications could not be consulted by me and the items that I do record are based on clippings and collections of clippings that I received from other people. INTRODUCTION XX are by the hand of Mr. R. van Assen, who also made pis. 1-7, 43, 44, 46-50, 55, 58-60, 73, 74, 79, 90, 92, 104-113, 125, 126, 128, 129, 133-135. 137. 138. 142 and 143. Mr. J. J. A. M. Wessendorp is responsible for pis. 56, 68-71, and 75, which are based on published figures and actual material. Mr. Wessendorp also made the text-figures 1, 2, 6, 7, 38, 39, 41a, b, 44, 45, 48, and 49c, d. Mr. W. C. G. Gertenaar made text-figures 3, 4, 5, 10, 11, 15, 16, 21, 23, 25, 30, 33, 34, 37, 40, 41c, d, 42, 43, 46, 47, 49a, b, and 51. Mr. H. Heyn made text-figures 13, 17, 18, 22, 24, 29, 31 and 36, and also the reproductions of figs. 12, 14, 26, 28, and 35. For the photographs I am much indebted to the following persons: Dr. D. C. Geijskes (pis. 57, 78, 93, 141, 144-149), Mr. J. Lindblad (pis. 45, 72, 80, 97), Mr. A. Reyne (pi. 150), Mr. P. Staffeleu (pi. 76), Mr. P. A. Teunissen (pi. 74A), Dr. P. Wagenaar Hummelinck (pi. 98). The other photographs were made by the staff-photographers of the Leiden Museum. Mr. H. F. Roman is responsible for pis. 14-42, and for the photographic reproduction on pi. 13. The remaining photographs are by the late Mr. C. Hoorn (pis. 8-12, 51-54, 61-67, 77, 81-89, 91, 94, 95, 99-103, 114-124, 127, 131, 132, 136, 139, 140 and 151), the photographic reproductions of text-fig. 50 and pis. 96 and 130 were also made by him. NOMENCLATURE During the preparation of this work several nomenclatural problems were en- countered, which are discussed under the species involved. There are, however, a few problems of more general interest, which may be discussed heie. In the present publication I have accepted the new names published in Etienne Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire's (1803) "Catalogue des mammiferes du Museum National d'Histoire naturelle" as available names. The validity of this work is the subject of strong controversy among zoologists. An attempt to place this work on the "Official Index of Rejected and Invalid Works in Zoology", undertaken on the advice by J. R. Ellerman and T. C. S. Morrison-Scott (1954: 130-131; 1962: 287- 288), and by W. E. China (1962: 289), was later abandoned by China (1963: 243), but the Commission has not yet expressed a definite opinion on whether or not this work is available. The arguments brought forward by L. B. Holthuis (1963: 242) to show that Geoffroy's Catalogue must be considered published, are fully shared by me, and I see no reason to reject Geoffroy's names, which are widely accepted in zoological literature; quite a number of authors (P. Hershkovitz, 1955c: 187-189; H. W. Setzer, 1952: 343; E. R. Hall, 1963: 245; J. Dorst, 1963: 245) do accept Geoffroy's Catalogue as available. Although the full name is Etienne Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, I have followed the usage by French mammologists to cite that author's name as E. Geoffrey. Similarly, the name Isidore Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire is cited by me as I. Geoffrey. As P. Fermin (1765; 1769) did not consistently use binominal nomenclature in his books, his latin names cannot be used. XXI INTRODUCTION MATERIAL Under the heading "Occurrence in Suriname" all the material examined by me is listed with the registered numbers of the specimens. A number given without other indications stands for a registered number of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie in Leiden (RMNH). The registered number of material from other in- stitutions is preceded by the following abbreviations: AMNH American Museum of Natural History, New York, U.S.A. BMNH British Museum (Natural History), London, England. CNHM Field Museum (Natural History), Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A. MNHN Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France. SMN Staatliches Museum fur Naturkunde, Stuttgart, Federal Republic of Germany. ZMA Zoologisch Museum (= Instituut voor Taxonomische Zoologie), Amster- dam, Netherlands. ZMB Zoologisches Museum, Berlin, German Democratic Republic. ZMH Zoologisches Museum, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany. In the enumeration of the material the samples are arranged more or less geo- graphically; first by districts, roughly from west to east, in the order Nickerie, Coronie, Saramacca, Suriname, Para, Brokopondo, Commewijne and Marowijne Districts. Within the districts the arrangement as a rule is from north to south. If more than two samples originate from the same district, the name of the district as a rule is given with the first and the last sample only. Most of the localities men- tioned can be found on maps 1-3; an index to the geographic names on the maps is given on pp. 551-553. MEASUREMENTS In most groups external and skull measurements are provided of all or of at least a representative part of the examined Suriname specimens. In some instances, however, the measurements of only a single adult male and a single adult female are given; such specimens are selected at random, being generally the most com- plete or the best preserved of the lot; in these cases the measurements given are neither minimum, maximum or average measurements, while differences between male and female measurements do not necessarily indicate a sexual dimorphism. The measurements are taken with vernier callipers to the nearest tenth of a milli- metre. The measurements are given in millimetres (mm) unless indicated other- wise; the body weight in grams (gr) or kilograms (kg). Text-figures i, 5-7, show the way in which the measurements used in this book were taken, and at the same time explain the terms used. INTRODUCTION XXII ZOOGEOGRAPHY Suriname, situated on the north coast of South America roughly between 2 0 and 6° N, and 54 0 and 58° W, belongs to the neotropical faunal province. Its mammal fauna is rich and varied, but, although from the earliest time the Suriname mam- mal fauna received the attention of travellers and naturalists, it is still quite in- sufficiently known. The fauna is typical for the northern part of the South Ameri- can mainland, and most species known from Suriname are also found in Venezuela, Trinidad, the two other Guianas and the lower Amazon basin. The country has a flat muddy coast with a few sandy beaches. Behind the coast are mangroves and swampy areas traversed in an east-west direction by elevated sand or shell ridges. Still farther inland are lowland savannas and gallery forests. South of these follow the foot hills and finally the higher mountains (with upland plateaus and highland savannas), which extend south to the border with Brazil; this border is formed by the watershed of the Amazon basin. The country is traversed in a roughly south-north direction by seven main rivers, which are from west to east: the Corantijn River (which forms the border with (formerly British) Guyana), the Nickerie River, the Coppename River, the Saramacca River, the Suriname River, the Commewijne River and the Marowijne River (which forms the border with Fig. 1. Indication of the external measurements used in this publication. A, anus; B, tip of the snout; C, end of the tail; D, end of the tuft of the tail; A-B, head and body; A-C, tail without tuft; A-D, tail with tuft; a, hind foot without nails; b, hind foot with nails; c, ear; d, forearm (only used in Chiroptera). INTRODUCTION XXIII Map 1. Map of Surinam showing the rivers and creeks mentioned in the text, as well as the rapids and falls: 1, Avanavero Falls; 2, Wonotobo Falls; 3, Doublesteps Falls; 4, Frederik Willem IV Falls; 5, Stondansi Falls; 6, Lombok Falls; 7, Graniet Falls; 8, Blanche Marie halls; 9, Cremer Falls; 10, Raleigh Falls; 11, Sidonkroetoe Falls; 12, Tonckens Falls; 13, Mama- dam Falls; 14, Lada Falls; 15, Maripasoela. The shaded areas are nature reserves; I, Coppename- monding; II, Wia-Wia; III, Galibi; IV, Brinckheuvel; V, Raleighval-Voltzberg; VI, Tafelberg; VII, Eilerts de Haan Gebergte; VIII, Sipaliwini; IX, Brownsberg. The heavy line borders the north-western area covered by the Game Ordinance. INTRODUCTION XXIV French Guyane); the first six rivers form three pairs (Corantijn-Nickerie, Coppename- Saramacca, Suriname-Commewijne), the second river of each pair joining the first just before it reaches the sea, the first of each pair being the more important. The rivers are navigeable for about the lower 100 km, the falls line being at about 5° N. The northern lowland region (roughly between 5 0 and 6° N), although faunistically the best known area, is still relatively poorly explored, while collecting in the in- terior dates from the present century, having been quite intensive during the last 30 years. Therefore it is still too early to draw conclusions as to the distribution of the species within Suriname itself. The fact that a species has not yet been found in the interior does not mean that it does not occur there; on the other hand a species collected in the interior but not in the lowland area is likely to be restricted to the mountains and foothills. THE HISTORY OF THE STUDY OF THE MAMMALIAN FAUNA OF SURINAME After the discovery in 1499 of the mainland coast of South America by Alonzo de Ojeda and Juan de la Cosa, numerous ships visited the "Wild coast of Guyana" and in several narratives remarks are made about the interesting fauna and flora of the area, which was so different from those found in Europe. It is difficult to say who was the first author to give information on the mammals of Suriname. There is no doubt that De Laet (1625), Keye (1659) an d Warren (1667) were among the first authors to contribute, although very superficially, to the knowledge of the mammal fauna of the country; they mentioned the more obvious species, such as marsupials, monkeys, sloths, anteaters, armadillos, large bats, "hares and rabbits", jaguars, ocelots, pumas, otters, coatis, raccoons, "deer and roes", peccaries, tapirs and manatees. In the 18th century several general accounts of Suriname were published in which the mammalia were more or less extensively treated, e.g. the works by Herlein (1718), Bellin (1763), Ferrnin (1765, 1769), Bancroft (1769), and Hartsinck (1770). In 1705 Maria Sybilla Merian published her exquisite painting of Marmosa murina (L.) with young, a figure that was copied later by several authors. The well known book by Stedman (1796) on his experiences as a soldier in Suriname contains also much valuable information on the mammals, several of which are well illustrated by him. As already mentioned above, Seba's (1734) Thesaurus contains numerous superb illustrations of Suriname mammals on which Linnaeus (1758) based many of his species. In the 19th century several publications of greater or lesser importance dealing with Suriname mammals were published: a complete list of the then known species was the one by Lammens (1844); this list, although it contains a fair number of inaccuracies, is still of considerable importance. Temminck (1824-1841) dealt with some Suriname mammals, and so did Jentink (1887, 1888) in his catalogues of the mammal collections in the Leiden Museum; in a number of other scientific papers of that time (e.g. by W. Peters) information on Suriname mammals can be found. Map 2. Map of Surinam. Localities: — (NICKERIE DISTRICT): 1, Stalweide; 2, Nieuw Nickerie; 3, Prins Bernhard Polder; 4, Groot-Henar Polder; 5, Hertenrits; 6, Wageningen (Samiha Creek); 7, Cupido; 8, Awarra savanna; 9, Walcay; 10, Washabo; 11, Matapi; 12, Kabalebo airstrip; 13, Coeroeni Island; 14, Lucie-kamp; 15, Kayserberg airstrip; 16, Alalapadoe; 17, Sipaliwini airstrip; 18, Vier Gebroeders (mountain); — (CORONIE DISTRICT): 19, Burnside; 20, Totness; 21, Coronieweg: — (SARAMACCA DISTRICT): 22, Coppename Punt; 23, Boskamp; 24, Karel François; 25, Kalebaskreek; 26, Goede Hoop; 27, Wayombo; 28, Sabana; 29, Heidoti; 30, Bitagron; 31, Kaaimanston; 32, Hebiweri; 33, Anton van Aerde cave (Tafel Mt.); 34, Rudi Kappel airstrip; 35, Calcutta; 36, Tijgerkreek; — (BROKOPONDO DISTRICT): 37, Posogroenoe; 38, Mambabasoe; 39, Dam; 40, Aurora; 41, Botopasi; 42, Djoemoe; 43, Ligolio; — (COMME- WIJNE DISTRICT): 44, Nengrekondre-pepre; — (MAROWIJNE DISTRICT): 45, Jerusalem; 46, Tamarin; 47, Moengo; 48, Patamacca; 49, Wiawia; 50, Galibi; 51, Langamankondre; 52, Moengotapoe; 53, Pierrekondre; 54, Albina; 55, Nason; 56, Lokalokatabbetje; 57, Magneetrots; 58, Vincent Fajks airstrip; 59, Maripasoela; 60, Oelemari airstrip. For localities in the Suriname- and Para District, and adjacent areas, see map 3 (on p. xxvii). XXVI INTRODUCTION Also popular accounts were published (e.g., Von Sack, 1810; Teenstra, 1835), but by far the most important contributions are those published by A. Kappler (1881, 1885, 1887). Kappler, whose biography is published by Haverschmidt (1973), came to Suriname as a soldier (1836-1841), and later (1842-1879) lived there as a trader. As shown by his books, he was an excellent observer and greatly interested in the animal life of Suriname. His descriptions of the biology and ecology of the Suriname mammals at present still belong to the main sources of our knowledge on these subjects, and Kappler will often be cited in the present book. In the 20th century a considerable number of scientific expeditions were sent out to explore the interior of Suriname; these expeditions are listed and described by Holthuis (1959: 34-41) and Hoogmoed (1973: 19-26). Especially the more recent expeditions had the possibilities to acquire important zoological collections, and much of the material dealt with in the present book was obtained by them. Also some private persons made collections, in this way adding to the collections of the Leiden Museum and greatly increasing our knowledge of the Suriname mammals. Foremost among these is Dr. D. C. Geijskes, who from 1938 to 1965 resided in Suriname (1938-1952 as entomologist of the Agricultural Experimental Station in Paramaribo, 1952-1954 as Government Biologist, and 1954-1965 as Director of the Surinaams Museum). Dr. Geijskes travelled all over Suriname and made valuable zoological collections most of which are now kept by the Rijksmuseum van Natuur- lijke Historie at Leiden. Many of the mammals dealt with here we owe to him, while he also placed his great knowledge of the biology and ecology of the various species at my disposal. Important material of Suriname mammals was collected for the Chicago Natural History Museum by H. A. Beatty (from 20 August i960 to 10 February 1962) and by Drs. Philip Hershkovitz and Jack Fooden (from 15 November 1961 to February 1962). I had the privilege to examine these important collections during my 1963 visit to Chicago. From December 1962 to July 1963, thanks to a grant of the Netherlands Founda- tion for the Advancement of Research in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles (WOSUNA), it was made possible for me to visit Suriname and to get a first hand acquaintance with the living mammal fauna. Mr. P. Staffeleu, also of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, accompanied me and contributed consider- ably to the success of our Suriname stay. Important collections were brought together and we received much most interesting and useful information concerning Suriname mammals. Later (1 November to 10 December 1972; after having also taken part in the 1971 N.W. Suriname Expedition) Mr. Staffeleu returned to Suri- name in an effort to obtain material of species, that were still poorly represented in the available Suriname collections (even some common species were represented by a few mediocre specimens only). This more directed collecting proved to be most rewarding and successful. Of many of the zoologists who collected in Suriname, biographical data and data INTRODUCTION XXVII Map 3. Map of the lower Suriname River and adjacent regions. Localities: 1, Groningen; 2, Dirkshoop; 3, Kampongbaroe; 4, Uitkijk; 5, Santigron; 6, Tottiekamp (Toti-kampoe); 7. Bigi Poika; 8, Kwakoegron; 9, Loksiehatti; 10, Finisanti; 11, Goudplacer; 12, Gros; 13, Garnizoenspad; 14, Pomona; 15, Kwatta; 16, Santo Boma; 17, Lelydorp; 18, Copieweg; 19, Onverwacht; 20, Onoribo; 21, Republiek; 22, Matta; 23, Zanderij; 24, Berlijn; 25, Sectie O; 26, Weg naar Zee; 27, Purmerend; 28, Leonsberg; 29, Clevia; 30, Morgenstond; 31, Ma Retraite; 32, Paramaribo; 33, Meerzorg; 34, Dijkveld; 35, Kasabaholo Creek; 36, Peperpot; 37, Hout- tuin; 38, Domburg; 39, Paranam; 40, Powakka; 41, Jodensavanne; 42, Blakkawatra; 43, Kraka; 44. Phedra; 45, Berg en Dal; 46, Baboenhol; 47, Brokopondo; 48, Brokobaka; 49, Afobaka; 50, Brownsweg; 51, Abontjima; 52, Kabel; 53, Njoenkondre; 54, Lombé; 55, Ganiakondre; 56, Gansee; 57, Bedoti; 58, Braamspunt; 59, Pomona; 60, Nieuw Amsterdam; 61, Marienburg; 62, Lust en Rust; 63, Alkmaar; 64, Tamanredjo; 65, Kroonenburg; 66, Wederzorg; 67, Alliance; 68, Matapica; 69, Slootwijk; 70, Potribo; 71, Nengrekondre-pepre (Ningripeprekondre); 72, Sapende; 73, Gododrai; 74, Peninika internaat; 75, Mooimankondre; 76, Charlottenburg; 77, Bigisanti. XXVIII INTRODUCTION concerning their itineraries and collecting activities can be found in the above cited papers by Holthuis (1959) and Hoogmoed (1973). In several scientific papers of this period (e.g., Tate, 1939; Sanborn, 1941; Sander- son, 1949) Suriname mammals are mentioned, while also a number of popular accounts provided interesting information. Sanderson's (1939) narrative of his 1938 visit to Suriname belongs in the latter category as does also Walsh & Gannon's (1967) account of the so-called "Operation Gwamba". "Operation Gwamba", which will be frequently referred to in the present work, was a project set up to save the animals inhabiting the area of about 1500 square km which became submerged after the completion in 1964 of the Afobaka Dam in the Suriname River. About ten thousand animals mostly found crowded on small islands or in tree tops were taken from the area and brought to uninhabited higher places near the lake. The authors provide a list of all animals taken and in this way an interesting picture is obtained of the composition of the fauna of the area and the sizes of the populations of the various species. Many species, usually considered rare, turned up in great numbers and proved to be quite common, but they evidently are of such secretive behaviour or living in such unusual or inaccessible habitats that usually they have been overlooked. Wherever in the text reference is made to "Operation Gwamba" the above publication is meant. A very important, but too little known contribution to the knowledge of the Mammalia of Suriname was given by the brothers F. P. and A. P. Penard, and I want to end this chapter on the history of the research on Suriname mammals by giving special attention and paying a special tribute to these two remarkable pioneers in the present field. Frederik Paul Penard (26 January 1876 - 4 September 1909) and Arthur Philip Penard (6 April 1880 - 12 September 1932) were the sons of Frederik Paul Penard Sr., a well to do merchant of Paramaribo, and his wife Philippina Salomons. In 1889, when Frederik Jr. was 13 years old and Arthur 9, both showed symptoms of lepra and had to leave school. From then the two boys lived in isolation at their home in Paramaribo. Without outside help the older boy taught himself and his younger brother, while their mother encouraged the boys and assisted them to her best ability, kept the outside contacts for them and must have had a most stimulating influence. Their two other brothers Thomas Edward (7 May 1878 - 27 October 1936) and William A. Penard were not affected by the disease and both went at an early age to the United States. Thomas Edward arrived there in 1891, when he was 13, and got his education there; he became a prominent engineer, and was also well known as an amateur ornithologist (for a biography see Peters, I 937- 232-234). Both Frederik and Arthur developed a great interest in natural history and ethnology and around 1896 they started a natural history collection, mostly of birds and birds eggs. Since they could not leave home, all their material was obtained from hunters and fishermen, mostly Amerindians. In 1899 the two brothers decided to write a book on the ornithology of the Guianas. The actual writing of it was mainly, or exclusively, done by Frederik; Arthur maintained the XXIX INTRODUCTION contact with the hunters and fishermen and for this purpose learned the languages of the Indians that brought them their specimens. In this way Arthur obtained much field information of the species, which information was used in their book. Arthur also supervised the preparation of the bird skins, and made the necessary notes on them to be used by Frederik in his text. By selling their collection of bird skins (to the Rothschild collection) they obtained the necessary funds to publish the first volume of their "De Vogels van Guyana" (in April 1908). Through the untiring efforts of Dr. F. A. Jentink, director of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie at Leiden, and his curator of birds Di. E. D. van Oort, and with the financial aid of numerous Dutch amateur ornithologists, the second volume was published in 1910. The two brothers were also much interested in ethnology and Arthur's knowledge of the Indian languages made it possible for them to obtain very important information, which they published in a number of books and articles. It was little known that the boys had also done their share in mammological research, and even planned the publication of a book on the "Mammals of Suriname". The history of this book, which unfortunately never was published as such, is the following. In 1905 and 1906 "De Surinamer" a "nieuws- en advertentieblad" (news- paper and advertiser), which was issued twice a week in Paramaribo, published a series of articles under the title "Grepen uit de Natuurkunde van Suriname. Bijeen- gebracht uit talrijke wetenschappelijke werken en lokaal-beschrijvingen van Jagers, Visschers enz. door X" (Some aspects of the natural history of Suriname. Brought together from numerous scientific publications and local descriptions by hunters, fishermen, etc. by X). The pseudonym X proved to stand for the brothers F. P and A. P. Penard. The articles are numbered 1 to 91 and the fiist 57 deal with Mammalia; m the remaining articles the reptiles are treated, but the reptile text is interrupted by a general description of the ecology of the country and of the influence of the seasons (articles 79 to 86). The series extended from 1 January 1905 to 9 December I9°6, and appeared in vols. 12 and 13 of "De Surinamer". A complete collation with indication of the dates of publication of the various articles is given in the bibliog- raphy at the end of this book. In a letter dated 5 November 1909 Mrs. Penard, who was widowed by then, approached Dr. E. D. van Oort, curator of birds of the Leiden Museum, asking whether there would be any possibility to have the "Grepen uit de Natuurkunde" published in book-form as 'it can be considered to be the most complete account so far written about Suriname zoology' 1 (the word "zoology" probably stands here for "mammalogy"). At that time Frederik had just died, and Van Oort and Jentink had succeeded to get the second volume of "De Vogels van Guyana" ac- cepted for publication. Evidently Van Oort's answer to Mrs. Penard was positive as she wrote him (28 December 1909): 'It is with pleasure that I see from your letter of 1 December, that you will try to find a publisher for the zoological work 1 This quotation is translated from the Dutch; here, and in the rest of the text, these trans- lated quotations are placed in single quotation marks, straight quotations in double marks. INTRODUCTION XXX of my sons. Copies of "De Surinamer", the newspaper in which this work appeared in serial form, cannot be obtained anymore. However, the cuttings of these articles, which have been brought up to date and are now in shape to be published as a book, at present are in the possession of my son Thos. E. Penard, 32 Irvingstreet, Everett, Mass., U.S.A.; they will soon be sent to you. In case the work cannot be published, would you then be so kind to return the manuscript, as I do not have a duplicate'. The next item is a letter (in English) sent to Dr. van Oort by Thomas E. Penard and dated Everett, Feb. 15, 1910; its contents is as follows: "Dear Sir. I am sending to you, registred under separate cover, the manuscript of 'De Zoog- dieren van Guyana* [The mammals of Guyana], concerning which my brother [error for: mother] has already written you and for which you believe you may be able to find a publisher providing the material should warrant it. In your letter of Dec. i, 1909 addressed to my mother, you ask for the original papers in which portions of the subject have already appeared. These, however, have been used in the preparation of the manuscript and it is now impossible to obtain duplicates of them. We have no other copies in the family. I would ask you, therefore, to return the original manuscript to me in case you decide not to publish it. I would ask you, also, to return the manuscript to me in case you do publish it, if this request be not entirely unreasonable. My intense interest in my brothers' work leads me to make the above request; I should like to keep the original manuscript as a personal souvenir. I have delayed in sending the manuscript to you directly upon receiving instructions to do so, because I wished to copy certain portions which appeared to me most valuable, to guard against possible loss through the mails. The manuscript has been carefully disinfected. Kindly inform me what course you adopt, and let me know if I can render any further as- sistance. Yours respectfully, Thomas E. Penard" Thereupon Drs. Jentink and Van Oort got in touch with at least two Dutch publishers: Martinus Nijhoff in The Hague (who had already published the bird book of the Penards), and W. Versluys in Amsterdam, a well known publisher of popular natural history literature of high quality. Nijhoff on 30 June 1910 wrote Dr. Jentink, informing him that as soon as the bird book of the Penards was published he would consider the possibility to publish the volume on mammals as a sequel to it, while Mrs. Penard in a letter to Dr. van Oort, dated 12 November 1910, wrote: 'Mr. Nijhoff informed me that he considers the publication of the manuscript con- cerning the mammals, in case the sale of the bird books is favourable'. Among the records of the Leiden Museum is a letter from the publishers W. Versluys to Dr. van Oort, dated Amsterdam 20 April 1910, stating that they would like to see the manu- script of the mammal book before giving any opinion as to the possibility of publish- ing it. However, as the subject of the book was of such a restricted interest, they were afraid that not much could be paid for it; perhaps a serial publication in their journal "De Levende Natuur" could be considered, after which the full text perhaps could be issued in book-form. No further correspondence on the subject can be found, but it seems likely that both publishers finally turned the manuscript down, as the book was never published. The manuscript was probably returned to either Thomas Edward or to Mrs. Penard; the latter died in Paramaribo on 24 December 1926, 76 years old. The manuscript was said to be kept by Arthur Penard and after XXXI INTRODUCTION his death in 1932 went to the youngest of the four Penard brothers, William. This manuscript, which consists of a number of school excercise books, in which the cuttings are pasted in, was finally donated by William Penard to Frater Abbenhuis, a roman catholic priest, who deposited it in the library of the home of the rornan catholic friars in Paramaribo. It was used by the teachers of the roman catholic schools in Paramaribo for their biology courses. When I was in Paramaribo in 1963, I consulted this manuscript and made two photocopies of it, both of which are now in the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden. There is also a bound photo- copy in the Library of the Surinaams Museum, thanks to the good offices of Mr. F. Haverschmidt. A complete set of "De Surinamer" in the roman catholic episcopal archives in the Bisschopshuis, Gravenstraat, Paramaribo, made it possible for me to obtain all the bibliographic information of the various articles, given here in the bibliography (pp. 542, 543). The articles by the brothers Penard are of varying quality and the information contained in them must be treated with some leserve, but much is very valuable, although often in need of verification. It is amazing that two young men in these extremely difficult circumstances, isolated from the rest of the world, with a sick body and no hope for a better future, still had the energy, interest, and strength of mind to undertake these extremely difficult projects and to succeed so well. Some of the casual remarks in the letters of Mrs. Penard show, better than an extensive description, the terrible and heart-rending situation in which they lived, e.g., in her letter of 12 November 1910 answering Dr. van Oort's request for material of bird skins. She wrote then: 'To my great regret I have to inform you that my son [i.e., Arthur; Frederik had died about a year ago] who should have to supervise the preparation of the skins requested by you, cannot do so anymore because of the loss of his eyesight'. Mrs. Penard, who did all the correspondence for her sons, must have been an exceptional woman, to whom, very deservedly, the two brothers dedicated their bird book. In the present work I have rather freely cited from the Penards' articles referring to each with the date of publication. In order to make these citations less cumber- some, I have only given their free English translation (in single quotation marks) and refrained from citing the original Dutch text. A biography of the brothers Penard was published by Haverschmidt (1949). NATURE PROTECTION, HUNTING AND PEST CONTROL IN SURINAME Until 1954 uo official measures were taken in Suriname to protect its fauna. In that year an ordinance was published (Gouvernementsblad van Suriname, 1954 no - 25) regulating the protection, hunting and selling of animals and animal products. This ordinance is still in force at present. Article 1 indicates that in Suriname all feral mammals, birds and turtles are fully protected with the exception of two categories, viz., the 'game animals' and the 'predominantly harmful animals'. INTRODUCTION XXXII Article 6 rules that the species belonging to these two categories will be indicated by decree. The first such decree was published in 1955 and it has been revised several times since. The latest decree, which is still in force today, is the one of 1 October 1970, published in the Gouvernementsblad van Suriname, 1970 no. 104. In Article 2 sub ia it lists the following animals as 'game animals' in the meaning of Art. 1 of the Ordinance: 'Boshert or pranasai-dia or prasara-dia (Mazama americana) ; Haas or He (Agouti paca); Jaguar (Panthera onca); Kapasi or lontoetere or gordeldier (Dasypus novemcinctus and Dasypus kappleri); Kesi-kesi (Cebus apella apella); Klein boshert or koeriakoe or boesikrabita (Mazama gouazoubira); Konijn or koni-koni or agoeti (Dasyprocta cayanus); Pakira (Tayassu tajacu); Pingo (Tayassu pecari); Tapir or buffel (Tapirus terrestris); Waterhaas or kapoewa (Hydrochaeris hydrochaeris); Zeehert or savanna-hert (Odocoileus virginianus)'. Article 2 sub 2a lists the following mammals as 'predominantly harmful species': 'Aira (Eira barbara); Awari or grote buidelrat (Didelphis marsupialis) ; Bloedzuigende vleermuizen (Desmodus rotundus) ; Huismuis or moismoisi (Mus musculus); Huisrat (Rattus rattus); Mongoes or fret (Herpestes auropunctatus); Rioolrat (Rattus norvegicus); Stadsrat (Rattus alexandrinus)'. The same decree indicates that hunting is permitted from i May to 31 December on all mammals of the category 'game animals', with the exception of the Jaguar (Panthera onca) , which may be hunted throughout the year. Hunting for game animals and killing predominantly harmful animals is only allowed with a special government permit. Article 5 of the decree of 1970 states that the Game Ordinance 1954 is in force only for the area in the northern part of Suriname shown on map 2. In the southern part of the country hunting is free. Schultz (1971) extensively dealt with the Suriname nature reserves and nature parks. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am most indebted to the directors and curators of the museums listed on p. xxi for allowing me to study mammal specimens, mainly from Suriname, present in the collections under their care. The study of this material not only contributed to a better understanding of the occurrence of various species in Suriname, but also made it possible to solve some problems in the fields of taxonomy and nomenclature. During my visit to the Field Museum at Chicago in 1963, I discussed several problems INTRODUCTION XXXIII I with Dr. P. Hershkovitz, Research Curator of Mammals, who allowed me also to study the extensive material of Suriname mammals collected by him in 1961 and 1962 (Hershkovitz, 1962). Dr. P. J. H. van Bree, Curator of Mammals of the Zoological Museum in Amsterdam, kindly placed at my disposal the collections of Suriname mammals obtained by that museum in recent years, and was most helpful also in other respects. Dr. D. C. Geijskes, formerly Director of the Surinaams Museum, provided the greater part of the material used in the present study. He was the one who stimulated my work on the Suriname mammals and without his insistence I would never even have begun the present project. Throughout my work he has given me advice and information, and urged me on. Very important Suriname material was placed at my disposal by the following of my colleagues, who collected in Suriname during longer or shorter periods (in- dicated in parentheses behind their names); in many instances they provided me with most valuable specimens, several belonging to species not before reported from Suriname: Dr. M. Boeseman (13 November 1963 - 4 October 1964, 19 January - 26 April 1971), Dr. P. H. van Doesburg (April 1957 - April 1963, November - Decem- ber 1968), Dr. M. S. Hoogmoed (24 April - 20 November 1968, 10 January-18 February 1970, 26 September 1974- 27 November 1975), Dr. G. F. Mees (8 March i 965 - 13 April 1966, 15 November 1971 - 15 November 1972). The important collections obtained by Mr. P. Staffeleu have already been mentioned on p. xxvi. Dr. F. Lukoschus of the University of Nijmegen, between July and October 1971 collected mammals in Suriname for his parasitological researches; his collection contained many interesting specimens, especially among the Chiroptera, his specimens are now in the Leiden Museum. Mr. J. Schouten, chief of the technical staff of the Mammal Division of the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, is mainly responsible for the efficient and excellent way in which the collected material was made available for study; he helped me also in many other respects for which I am most grateful. I am likewise much indebted to Mr. D. G. Reeder, who not only, during his stay in Suriname, collected several of the specimens treated here, but also, after he joined the tech- nical staff of the Mammal Division, took care of the preparation and administration of part of the Suriname material. During my stay (1962-1963) in Suriname, which was made financially possible b y a generous grant from the Netherlands Foundation for the Advancement of Research in Surinam and the Netherlands Antilles (WOSUNA) (later named Nether- lands Foundation for the Advancement of Tropical Research, WOTRO), many people greatly facilitated my work there. Among these persons I should like to mention Ir. P. G. de Boer, Director of the "Stichting voor de Ontwikkeling van Machinale Landbouw in Suriname" (the so-called Wageningen rice-project); Mr. R- J. Bolwerk, Head of the Archeological Service, Surinaams Museum; the late bather A. Donicie, C.S.S.R., Director of the Peninika Boardingschool in the upper INTRODUCTION XXXIV Commewijne area; Mr. Jimmy Douglas, at the time District Commissioner of the Commewijne District; Dr. H. Kuil and Dr. E. Hooghiemstra, Directors of the Veterinary Service; Prof. Dr. E. van der Kuyp, Director of the Bureau for Public Health (B.O.G.); Ir. H. E. Lionarons, Director of the Fishery Service; Ir. J. Samson, formerly Director of the Agricultural Experimental Station, Paramaribo; Ir. G. P. Tiggelman, Director of Agriculture; Ir. P. J. D. Versteegh, Director of the Forestry Service; and the Direction of the Suriname Airlines Company (S.L.M.). It is impossible to mention all the others, who helped me in some way or other and made my stay in Suriname such a pleasant and successful one. With utmost gratitude I mention here the stimulating collaboration generously and profusely rendered by my colleague, Prof. Dr. L. B. Holthuis, during the many years of preparing this publication. His patience and expert advice (especially though not exclusively on nomenclatorial matters), as well as his willingness to condense my 1962 thesis into the present chapter on Chiroptera, were crucial for the publication of this work in its present form. I should like to end this chapter with expressing my deep gratitude to the late Prof. Dr. H. Boschma, to whom this book is dedicated, for his advice, moral support and guidance throughout this study and for critically reading the manuscript. Without his always freely given and stimulating help this book would never have been realized. Class Mammalia In the present publication the classification and the arrangement of the orders, families, genera and species mainly corresponds with the 1958 and 1961 check-lists of the South American mammals by Cabrera. According to Cabrera twelve mamma- lian orders occur in South America, eleven of which have representatives in the fauna of Suriname. The Insectivora, namely, do not occur in Suriname, as their distribution in South America is restricted to the north-easternmost part of the continent. In some respect, however, Cabrera's classification needs emendation, partly in the light of more recent revisions of some groups, partly as a consequence of changed views. So Cabrera (1958: 228-306) and many other authors recognized two suborders of the Carnivora: the Fissipedia (adapted to terrestrial life) and the Pinnipedia (seals and walruses, adapted to aquatic life). The two suborders are now generally regarded as separate orders, the order Carnivora as equivalent to the former suborder Fissipedia, and the order Pinnipedia, equivalent to the former suborder of that name; the two groups not being considered closely related (see Anderson & Jones, 1967). To my knowledge there are no records of Pinnipedia from the coast or the nearby open sea of the Guianas. It has also been customary to divide the order Cetacea (whales and dolphins) into two suborders, the Odontoceti (toothed whales) and the Mysticeti (baleen whales). Recent authors have defended the view that these suborders should be assigned the rank of full orders. In previous classifications, the hares and rabbits were included as a suborder in the order Rodentia, under the name Duplicidentata (rodents with four upper in- cisors) ; the other suborder was the Simplicidentata (rodents with two upper incisors). In recent years it has become evident that the hares and rabbits must form a separate order, the Lagomorpha, distinct from the order Rodentia. This procedure was also followed by Cabrera (1961:344,353). Each order comprises one or more families, genera and species, the number of which varies considerably, not only in the different parts of South America but also in Suriname. In the following key to the Suriname mammalian orders, only those characters are used, which in my opinion can be easily observed. These characters are only of importance to separate the forms occurring in Suriname, so that the key must be used with some reserve if consulted for mammals from the other South American countries. The same applies to the other keys in the present work. Key to the orders of the mammals of Suriname I a. Front limbs modified for flying. Bones of hand and fingers greatly elongated; wing membranes attached to the sides of the body and the hind limbs (text- figs. id, 5a) Chiroptera (bats), p. 41 b- Front limbs not modified for flying 2 MAMMALIA 2 2a. Front limbs modified to fin-like appendages; hind limbs lacking. Tail short, horizontally flattened (pi. 141). Animals exclusively aquatic 3 b. Not as in 2a 4 3a. Tail with a rounded posterior margin (pi. 90) . . Sirenia (manatees), p. 334 b. Tail laterally expanded into two pointed flukes (pi. 141) Cetacea (whales and dolphins), p. 513 4a. Dorsal surface of head, body and tail covered with a bony carapace or armour (frontispiece, pi. 60) . Edentata, family Dasypodidae (armadillos), p. 236, 253 b. Not as in 4a 5 5a. Upper and lower jaws wholly toothless (pis. 62, 63); mouth tubular with small terminal opening (pi. 55) Edentata, family Myrmecophagidae (anteaters), p. 236, 239 b. Not as in 5a 6 6a. Upper incisors absent (pis. 64, 99-103) 7 b. Upper incisors present 8 7a. Pelage long and crisp; hind foot with three long claws (pis. 58, 59) Edentata, family Bradypodidae (sloths), p. 236, 247 b. Pelage short; hind foot (and forefoot) with hoofs Artiodactyla, family Cervidae (deer), p. 345, 356 8a. Canines absent; incisors strongly enlarged and chisel-like (text-fig. 40) ... 9 b. Canines present, longer than the incisors (text-fig. 2) 10 9a. Number of incisors of the upper jaw 4, the second pair much reduced, directly behind the first pair. Hind foot densely haired, with three toes (pi. 106 fig. 5) Lagomorpha (hares and rabbits), p. 369 b. Number of incisors in the upper jaw 2. If the hind foot has three toes, it is not densely haired Rodentia (rodents), p. 372 10a. Tail reduced, very short 11 b. Tail distinct and long, or short and densely haired 12 na. Pig-like animals. Hind limbs with three toes. Length of head and body up to about 90 cm .... Artiodactyla, family Dicotylidae (peccaries), p. 345, 347 b. Upper lip and nostrils elongated into a short muscular proboscis (pi. 92). Length of head and body up to about 180 cm Perissodactyla, family Tapiridae (tapirs), p. 340 12a. Rat- or mouse-like animals. Total number of the small upper incisors 10, that of the lower incisors 8 (text-fig. 2c) Marsupialia (marsupials), p. 4 b. Animals not rat- or mouse-like 13 13a. Total number of upper as well as lower incisors 4 (text-fig. 2a). Front limbs and hind limbs elongated Primates (monkeys), p. 206 b. Total number of upper as well as lower incisors 6 (text-fig. 2b); the outer incisors are largest, the inner smallest, at least in the upper jaw Carnivora (carnivores), p. 267 MAMMALIA 3 Metachirops opossum opossum (Ball); C, (Linnaeus). (Linnaeus); B, Cebus apella apella Leopardus pardalis melanurus Fig. 2. Incisors and canines in upper (left figures) and lower (right figures) jaws in Primates, Carnivores and Marsupials. A, Order Marsupialia It is not difficult to distinguish the seven genera of marsupials known from Suriname (see plates 2-7) from one another, but some of the species, especially the smaller, show a superficial resemblance to some of the smaller rodents, and at a first glance may be confused with those. The most striking external characters in which marsupials can be distinguished from rodents are: (1) the shape and the structure of the hind foot: the hallux of the hind foot is clawless and opposable to the other digits (pi. 1); (2) the size and the arrangement of the teeth (see text-fig. 3). All rodents have large incisors in the upper jaw as well as in the lower, while between the incisors and the next teeth there is a large space, the diastema, which is caused by the absence of the canines and usually also of the premolars. The marsupials, on the other hand, have a complete dentition; the incisors are small, situated between the large canines, while there is not a marked diastema between the canines and the first premolar. Six of the genera of Marsupialia are represented in Suriname by one species each. Of the seventh genus, Marmosa, for the present four species are recognized as be- longing to the fauna of Suriname. These four species have the following characters in common: (1) the presence of a dark ring around each eye, which is continued forward as a dark streak, reaching as far as the rhinarium (see pi. 4); (2) the absence of a pouch, and (3) the tail always being distinctly longer than head and body. It is possible that more species of Marmosa will be found in Suriname if more intensive collecting is carried out in the interior, especially in the mountainous areas. For the identification of Marmosa species not treated in the present paper, the work by Tate (1933) may prove most useful. An eighth genus of Marsupialia, viz., Lutreolina, with the species L. crassicaudata (Desmarest, 1804), is briefly treated here, although its occurrence in Suriname is very problematic; the species, however, once has been recorded in the literature on mammals of Suriname (see p. 39). In order to facilitate the identification of the marsupials of Suriname, two keys are here given: the first is based on external characters and distinguishes the seven genera, the second uses skull characters and is meant for the identification of all the species. Key to the genera of the Marsupialia of Suriname based on external characters ia. Tail about half the length of head and body (pi. 3) . . . . Monodelphis, p. n b. Tail equal to, slightly shorter, or distinctly longer than head and body ... 2 2a. Fur of the back with large dark and light areas. Toes of hind feet webbed (pi. 7) Chironectes, p. 36 b. Fui of the back of a uniform colour. Toes of hind feet not webbed 3 MARSUPIALIA 5 Zygodontomys brevicauda microtinus (Thomas). Both figures in left side view; c, canine; i, incisors; m, molars; p, premolars. (Linnaeus); lower figure: Marmosa murina murina Comparison of the skulls of a marsupial and a rodent. Upper figure: 6 MARSUPIALIA 3a. A distinct white or light yellowish rounded spot above each eye (pi. 5) ... 4 b. Such spots not present 5 4a. The dark grey or blackish brown fur extends for about 50 to 75 mm on the tail Metachirops, p. 24 b. The brownish coloured fur extends at most for about 25 mm on the tail . . . Metachirus, p. 28 5a. A dark brown central streak runs over the dorsal surface of the head from the muzzle to between the ears (pi. 2) Caluromys, p. 8 b. Face without a dark central streak 6 6a. The eyes surrounded by a dark brownish ring, which continues as a stripe from the lower corner of the eye to the muzzle (pi. 4). Fur soft . . Marmosa, p. 14 b. No distinct, regular, dark ring around the eyes (pi. 6). Fur intermixed with long bristly hairs Didelphis, p. 30 Key to the Marsupialia of Suriname based on skull characters ia. Postorbital processes (see text-fig. 4, pp) absent, there is no marked separation between the interorbital and the postorbital constrictions (pi. 9 upper figs). Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 9 specimens from 6.0 to 6.4 mm (mean: 6.3 mm). . Monodelphis brevicaudata brevicaudata, p. II b. Postorbital processes sharply defined or distinctly indicated (pis. 8, 9 lower figs., 10, 11); if weakly indicated or nearly absent, the combined length of the three anterior upper molars is about 10 mm 2 2a. Postorbital processes large and triangular (pi. 8 lower figs.); postorbital con- striction somewhat hidden below the posterior carinae formed by these pro- cesses. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 13 specimens from 7.8 to 8.4 mm (mean: 8.1 mm) Caluromys philander philander, p. 8 b. Postorbital processes smaller. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars less than 8 mm or more than 9 mm 3 3a. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars less than 8.0 mm (genus Marmosa; pis. 10, n) 4 b. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars more than 9.0 mm ... 7 4a. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 4 specimens from 7.0 to 7.2 mm Marmosa cinerea demerarae, p. 14 b. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars less than 6.5 mm ... 5 5a. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars in 2 specimens 4.2 mm . . Marmosa emiliae, p. 23 b. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars more than 4.5 mm ... 6 6a. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 16 specimens from 5.2 to 6.1 mm (mean: 5.6 mm) .... Marmosa murina murina, p. 18 b. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 5 specimens from 4.7 to 5.2 mm (mean: 5.0 mm) Marmosa lepida, p. 16 MARSUPIALIA 7 spec.). Upper figure, left: ventral view; upper figure, right: dorsal view. Lower figure: inner side of the right lower jaw. The tooth-row of each side the upper jaw consists of five incisors ( 1¹-1 5 ), one canine (c), three premolars (p¹-p³) and ur molars (m ¹-m 4 ); that of the lower jaw has four incisors, one canine, three premolars and fou r molars , respectively. — a, distance between the anterior border of the alveole of the canine to the posterior border of the third premolar; b, length of the first three molars together; bl, basal length; br, breadth of braincase; cb, condylobasal length; d, length of the four molars get her; ib, interorbital constriction; 1, length of mandible; n, length of nasals; p. ang., proces- angularis; pb, postorbital breadth; p. cond., processus condylicus (= proc. articularis); p. c or., processus coronoideus (= proc. muscularis); pl, palatal length; pp, processus postorbi- talis; zb, zygomatic breadth. Marmosa Fig. 4. Skull of a marsupial ( 8 MARSUPIALIA 7a. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 22 specimens from 15.2 to 17.3 mm (mean: 16.3 mm); basal length more than 75 mm (pi. 9 lower figs.) Didelphis marsupialis marsupialis, p. 30 b. Combined length of the three anterior upper molars less than 15mm; basal length less than 75 mm 8 8a. Braincase distinctly broader than the interorbital constriction (pi. 12). Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying (according to Thomas, 1888: 320, footnote) from 12 to 14 mm .... Chironectes minimus minimus, p. 36 b. Braincase narrow, about as wide as the interorbital constriction (pi. 8 upper figs.) 9 9a. Postorbital processes sharply defined (pi. 8 upper figs.). Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 17 specimens from 10.5 to 12.8 mm (mean: n.6 mm); width of the second upper premolar about 1.8 mm .... Metachirops opossum opossum, p. 24 b. Postorbital processes small or even absent (Thomas, 1888:321). Combined length of the three anterior upper molars varying in 4 specimens from 10.0 to 10.5 mm (mean: 10.3 mm); width of the second premolar about 1.1 mm . . . Metachirus nudicaudatus nudicaudatus, p. 28 FAMILY DIDELPHIDAE Caluromys philander philander (Linnaeus, 1758) PL 2 (animal), pi. 8 lower figures (skull) Didelphis Philander Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae, (ed. 10) 1: 54-55. Type locality. — "Habitat in America". Restricted by Thomas (1911:143) to "Surinam". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 4; Hershkovitz, 1949; Thomas, 1888: 337-338, 341. Vernacular names. — (E) Philander Opossum; (N) Philander, Wollige Opossum; (S) Awari. Distribution. •— The species Caluromys philander (Linnaeus, 1758) is known from Venezuela, the Guianas and from north-eastern, south-eastern and south central Brazil. The nominate subspecies C. philander philander occurs in Venezuela, the Guianas and north-eastern Brazil. Occurrence in Suriname. — The first author who mentioned this species from Suriname was Fermin (1765: 26), who reported it under the name "Rat de Bois, nomme Mus major agrestis capite grandi”. Temminck (1824 (1): 43-46) based his description of Didelphis philander exclusively on Suriname material. Lammens (1844: 95) mentioned the occurrence of the species in Suriname, but stated: "Man sieht dieses Thier selten". Thomas (1888: 338) dealt with a Suriname specimen of which the exact locality is not known. The Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", n January 1906) indicated the species as quite rare in Suriname. During the Operation Gwamba, MARSUPIALIA 9 however, no less than 28 specimens are stated to have been caught and saved in the Brokopondo region alone (Walsh & Gannon, 1967: 218, also pp. 167, 168). Tate (1939: 163) noted that "the species appears to be restricted to the lowlands, and to be rare in Guiana". This in general also holds true for our Suriname material, although one specimen was taken near Sipaliwini in the interior of Suriname (see below), while the Brokopondo area lies just above the falls line. I have examined the following Suriname material: 1. Sipaliwini airstrip, Nickerie District, south-west Suriname, remains of a specimen in stomach contents of Morphnus guianensis (Daudin), a large bird of prey (no. 19646). 2. Plantation "Clevia", west bank of Suriname River, north-east of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 juvenile male (no. 22084, skin). 3- Plantation "Ma Retraite", west bank of Suriname River, south-west of "Clevia", 1 adult male (no. 10790, skin and skull) and 1 semi-adult unsexed skull (no. 17258). 4. Comb6, northern suburb of Paramaribo, 1 adult male (no. 3916, skin and skull). 5- Agricultural Experimental Station (Cultuurtuin), Paramaribo, 1 semi-adult female (no. 1^I 73. skin and skull). 6. Paramaribo, 1 adult male (no. 12866, skin and skull), 1 adult female (no. 3967, skin and skull) with four pouch young (2 males and 2 females, nos. 3968 to 3971, respectively), 1 adult female (no. 18025, skin and skull), 1 unsexed specimen (no. 22573, skin and skull), 2 skulls (nos. 18171, 18172). 7- Pad van Wanica, just south of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 semi-adult female (no. '8174, skin and skull). 8. Nieuw-Amsterdam, at the confluence of Suriname and Commewijne Rivers, at right bank °f Suriname River, Commewijne District, 1 semi-adult male (no. 16227, skin and skull). 9- Marienburg, just east of Nieuw-Amsterdam, on left bank of Commewijne River, Comme- wijne District, 1 adult female (no. 20664, skin and skull). 10. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 adult male and 1 female (see Jentink, 1888: 221, nos. a and b of Didelphis philander), 1 adult male (no. 1768, skin and skull; zoo specimen), 1 juvenile female (ZMA no. 15456), and 1 juvenile skeleton (see Tentink, 1887; 302, Didelphis dorsigera; no. 12871). Description. — The following description is based exclusively on the above men- tioned Suriname material. The most striking character of the present species, which immediately distinguishes it from the other marsupials of Suriname, is the narrow dark brown stripe running from between the ears and the eyes to the tip of the nose; around the eyes there is a dark brown ring from which a broad streak of the same colour extends to the tip of the nose. The area between these three facial stripes is pale greyish. The ears are large, rounded and practically naked, only few very short scattered hairs may be observed. The fur of the body is thick, soft and woolly. The general colour of the dorsal parts is more or less rufous grey, passing into a more greyish tinge on the sides, and on the dorsal parts of the front and hind legs. The v entral surface of the body is yellowish or orange yellowish, sometimes with a shade °f grey, the line of demarcation on the sides being more or less obsolete. The woolly f ur of the body extends on the tail for about 50 to 70 mm; this hairy part ends abruptly. The rest of the tail is naked; proximally this naked part is of a dark own colour, farther on it shows a mottling of white and dark brown spots, while terminally the tail is whitish or light yellowish. The tail is always longer than the head and body together. MARSUPIALIA 10 Dental formula: If, C £, P |, M £. The first upper premolar is very small and placed directly behind or almost against the canine, usually it does not reach the level of the cingulum of the second premolar; a distinct diastema is present between the first premolar and the much larger second premolar. The third premolar is a little smaller than the second. The skull of this species may easily be distinguished from those of the other Suriname marsupials by the strongly developed post orbital processes, which are triangular with a truncated tip, and which posteriorly continue in a blunt carina extending above the postorbital constriction; the latter thereby is not distinctly visible in dorsal view (pi. 8 lower figs.). Like in all other Suriname marsupials the nasalia are rather narrow in front, widening rather strongly in the posterior third to become narrow again farther back. The mandible of all Suriname marsupials shows the same general shape: the processus coronoidea is very high and broad, and reaches far beyond the processus condylicus; the anterior part of the mandible is low and of about the same height throughout. The following measurements are those of two adult females of which all upper molars are present and functional, viz. no. 20664 from Marienburg and no. 18025 from Paramaribo, respectively: head and body, 245, 258; tail, 362, 317; hind foot, 39, 42; ear, 35, 37 mm; weight, unknown, 350 grams. In Table 1 skull measurements of 10 adult specimens with complete dentition are noted; the length of the mandible as given there is the distance between the anteriormost point of the mandible to the posteriormost point of the processus condylicus. In 13 specimens the length of the first three molars varies from 7.8 to 8.4 mm (mean: 8.1 mm). Remarks. -— The Philander Oppossum is arboreal and lives in forested areas; it is mainly active from nightfall to early morning. This may explain why the animal is difficult to obtain. It is a good climber, for an adult mummified specimen was found by Dr. D. C. Geijskes on 6 April 1963 high up in a telegraph post between Paramaribo TABLE 1 Skull measurements of ten specimens of Caluromys philander philander (Linnaeus) from Suri- name in the Leiden Museum. Reg. number 20664 18025 3967 12866 3916 16227 10790 18172 18171 22753 Sex 999666 <J - - - Condylobasal length. 56.0 58.6 58.9 54.0 54.3 56.9 58.1 55.5 57.9 58.7 Basal length 52.0 55.8 55.9 50.5 50.6 53.9 54.9 52.0 54.5 55.2 Palatal length 30.1 32.0 - 28.5 29.4 30.5 31.8 29.8 30.4 31.5 Zygomatic breadth 31.1 32.3 33.4 33.2 31.4 32.7 33.3 33.0 32.9 33.5 Interorbital constriction 9.2 8.5 - 9.5 8.9 8.7 9.0 9.4 9.1 9.3 Postorbital constriction 9.0 7-8 8.4 8.6 9.0 8.5 9.0 8.6 8.7 8.3 Breadth across canines 11.8 11.7 12.5 11.2 11.2 11.6 12.3 11.4 11.4 11.8 Greatest width across postorb. proc. 16.0 15.5 16.7 16.0 15.8 18.6 19.2 19.0 17.0 17.0 Breadth of braincase 19.1 18.8 19.8 19.6 19.5 19.0 20.0 19.2 19.7 19.8 14 Length of upper tooth-row, c - m 19,8 21.2 21.2 19.8 19.6 20.0 21.2 20.0 20.5 20.7 Length of upper three molars, m 1 - m 8.4 8.1 8.3 8.0 8.0 8.2 8.1 8.3 7.8 8.4 Length of mandible 41.5 43.1 43.5 40.6 40.1 42.7 43.1 40.4 43.5 43.7 Length of lower tooth-row, Cj - m^ 21.9 22.5 23.0 21.5 21.1 22.2 22.8 21.4 22.0 22.4 Length of lower three molars, - 8.8 8.2 8.5 8.3 8.4 9.4 8.5 8.5 8.2 8.6 MARSUPIALIA 11 and Clevia. The species is omnivorous, its food consists of vegetables, fruits, small birds and reptiles. Already Temminck (1824: 46) remarked: "On a trouve des debris d'oiseaux dans les individus que j'ai fait tirer de l'esprit-de-vin". The species oc- casionally causes some damage to bananas in native gardens; in January 1963 I found a semi-adult specimen in a fallen banana tree in Paramaribo. One of the natural enemies of the Philander Opossum is the Crested Eagle, Morphnus guianensis (Daudin, 1800): in the stomach contents of a specimen of this bird shot in February I97 0 near Sipaliwini airstrip, I found remains of Caluromys, viz., part of the skeleton without the skull, and the tail. In the literature the names Didelphis philander and Philander philander are com- monly used for the present species (see also Hershkovitz, 1949). Monodelphis brevicaudata brevicaudata (Erxleben, 1777) PI. 3 (animal), pi. 9 upper figure (skull), pi. 1 fig. 1 (hindfoot) Didelphis brevicaudata Erxleben, 1777, Systema Regni Animalis, 1: 80. Type locality. — "Habitat in Americae australis silvis". Restricted by Matschie (1916: 271) to "Surinam". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 7-8 (and probably p. 10 under Monodelphis touan (Shaw)); Thomas, 1888: 356-358 (under Didelphys). Vernacular names. — (E) Short-tailed Oppossum, Red-sided Opossum; (N) Kort- staart Opossum; (S) Moismoisi-awari. Distribution. — The species Monodelphis brevicaudata (Erxleben, 1777) is known from Venezuela, the Guianas and the Amazon basin in Brazil. The nominate subspecies M. brevicaudata brevicaudata occurs in the Guianas and the Amazon basin. Occurrence in Suriname. — In Suriname the species so far is only known from the coastal area and the foothills, up to an altitude of 475 m (Brownsberg). Its range may be wider, but so far only relatively few specimens have been collected. The first author who mentioned this species from Suriname was Fermin (1765: 44; 1769: Ix 6), at least his "Souris de Bois.... [qui ont] le museau [fort] pointu, les oreilles grandes & assez larges & le corps couvert de poils d'un bai-rouge clair" hardly can he a different species. Lammens (1844: 96) described the colour of this species (his no - x 3i) as follows: "Die Farbung ist sehr schon, caffeebraunes Roth, auf dem Riicken rnit Grau und Schwarz iiberpudert, die Seiten schon dunkelroth, ins caffee- braune". Kappler (1881:164; 1887:66) mentioned the species under the name Didelphis brachiura. Also the brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 14 January 1906) dealt with this species from Suriname. The first author to mention the species from a more exact locality within Suriname was Sanderson (1949: 788), who collected a male in a trap "on damp forest floor by creek in tall rain forest bordering open wet savannahs at Zanderij". MARSUPXALIA 12 The following specimens were examined by me: i. Banana plantation "Jarikaba" near Uitkijk on Saramacca River, west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, I adult male (no. 20672, skin). 2. Agricultural Experimental Station (Cultuurtuin), Paramaribo, 1 adult female (no. 18076, skin and skull). 3. Plantation "De Morgenstond", north-east of Paramaribo, left bank of Suriname River, i juvenile female (no. 17223, skin and skull). 4. Plantation "Clevia", north-east of "De Morgenstond", Suriname District, 1 adult female (no. 17292, skin and skull) and 1 adult male (no. 21654, skin and skull). 5. Republiek on highway from Paramaribo to Zanderij, about 35 km S. of Paramaribo, Para District, 1 adult unsexed specimen (no. 12851, skin and skull), and 1 juvenile (no. 12850, skin and skull). 6. Brokopondo, left bank of Suriname River, about 100 km south of Paramaribo, Broltopondo District, 1 semi-adult female (no. 17907, skin and skull). 7. Brownsberg, near north-western corner of Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, altitude 475 m, 2 adult females (nos. 23403 and 23404, skins and skulls). 8. Langamankondre, north of Albina on left bank of Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 1 adult female (no. 18227, s ki n an( t skull). Description. — The character distinguishing this species from all other Suriname marsupials is the shortness of the tail, which is about half as long as head and body combined. The following description is based exclusively on the above Suriname specimens. The back of the animals usually is blackish or dark brown, heavily sprinkled with whitish. This dark dorsal area extends forward almost as far as the eyes, narrowing anteriorly. Posteriorly it usually does not reach the base of the tail. Laterally the body is uniformly ferrugineous or rufous, without white sprinkling, usually sharply set off from the dark dorsal colour. This lateral reddish brown colour extends to the tip of the snout. The snout itself is either uniformly rufous or ferrugineous, or shows a median stripe which may be paler than the surrounding area, or darker, in the latter case it looks like a continuation of the dorsal colour. This stiipe is often very indistinct or entirely absent. The ears are rather small but very distinct, rounded, with scattered short hairs, which are so small and few that to the naked eye the ears seem to be naked. The outer surface of the legs, the rump and the upper surface of the tail have the same rufous colour as the sides. The lower surface of the body is much paler than the dorsal surface, but very variable in colour. This colour ranges from pale cream, or greyish cream to pale brownish or brownish grey. Usually this colour is sharply demarcated from that of the sides, but in some specimens, especially in the juveniles, the line of demarcation is vague. Usually the inner sides of the legs are paler, less greyish than the venter, this pale colour in some specimens also is observed in the posterior ventral part, between the hind legs. The chin and the larger part of the throat are always ferrugineous, although backwards the extent of this ferrugineous area varies in the available individuals, in some the entire throat is of this colour, in some only the anterior part. The proximal part of the lower sur- face of the tail and a narrow area before it are also ferrugineous brown, the distal part of the lower surface of the tail is naked. The variation in the colour of the MARSUPIALIA 13 ventral surface of the body is very great. In all the larger specimens (nos. 18076, 20672, 21654, 2 34°3» 2 34°4) the colour is rather light with the venter greyish and the inner surface of the legs more cream. In the 3 smaller adult females (nos. 17223, 17292, 18227) an d a large semi-adult female (no. 17907) the lower surface is much darker than in the larger specimens, being brownish grey sprinkled with cream (nos. 17223, 18227), greyish brown (no. 17292) or dark grey (no. 17907), with the inner sides of the legs not or hardly lighter than the venter; the demarcation of the colour of the ventral and lateral surfaces in these specimens is still well visible, although less distinct than in the larger specimens. In the two juveniles the ventral colour is brown (no. 12850) or dark slate grey (no. 17242), without any clear demarcation, neither from the sides nor from the throat or tail. Dental formula: If, C 1, P §, M f. The three premolars are placed behind the incisor and show no diastema. The first is much the smaller, being about half as high as the second, which is slightly longer than, but as high as the third. The processus postorbitalis of the skull is entirely lacking (pi. g upper fig.). The external and skull measurements of 8 Suriname specimens are given in Table 2. Remarks. — According to Fermin (1765, 1769) the litter of this species consists °f 6 young. Walker (1964 (1): 16), however, noted that in Monodelphis the number °f young varies from 8 to 14. The food of this species is said to consist of insects and probably young birds (Kappler, 1885: 598; 1887: 66) or 'is of both vegetable and animal origin. It is interesting that the animals often attack birds, lizards and even •guanas, which are much larger then they are themselves' (brothers Penard, "De Surinamer", 14 January 1906). The species is nocturnal, as already pointed out by TABLE 2 External and skull measurements of eight specimens of Monodelphis brevicaudata brevi- caudata (Erxleben) from Suriname in the Leiden Museum. Reg. number 17223 17292 18227 18076 23404 23403 21654 12851 Sex 9 9 9 9 9 9 d - Head and body 110 - 105 118 125 155 131 _ Length of tail 63 - 63 67 75 78 78 - Hind foot 19 - 19.5 19.5 19 20 21.5 - Ear - - 16 18 17 18 16 - Weight, grams ---- 67 95 - Condylobasal length 31.5 32.0 32.3 35.3 35.5 38.3 35.9 33.1 Basal length 29.3 29.5 30.2 33.2 33.4 36.3 33.7' 31.0 Palatal length 17.4 17.8 17.5 18.6 19.1 21.1. 19.8 17.4 Zygomatic breadth 16.9 16.4 17.4 19.4 18.3 20.0 18.0 18.3 Interorbital constriction 6.0 6.6 6.3 6.3 5.8 6.0 6.3 5.8 Breadth across canines 5.0 5.2 5.0 6.0 5.5 6.7 5.8 5.5 Breadth of braincase 11.6 12.2 11.7 13.0 12.3 13.3 12.6 11.8 Length of upper tooth-row, c - ra* 13.7 13.8 13.7 14.2 13.9 15.3 14.5 13.8 Length of upper three molars, ra' - m"* 6.4 6.4 6.3 6.0 6.3 6.3 6.2 6.1 Length of mandible 23.1 23.2 24.5 26.7 26.1 28.7 26.7 24.9 Length of lower tooth-row, Cj - m^. 15.0 14.5 14.7 15.4 14.5 16.4 16.0 14.8 Length of lower three molars, JUj - 6.7 6.5 6.3 6.0 6.2 6.4 6.2 6.2 MARSUPIALIA 14 Kappler (1887: 66). The specimen from Republiek (no. 12851) was caught by Dr. Geijskes after nightfall at 8 p.m., in a savanna forest. According to several authors two species of Monodelphis occur in the Guianas, and in Cabrera's checklist these species are indicated by the names M. b. brevicau- data (Erxleben, 1777), of which the restricted type locality is Suriname, and M. t. touan (Shaw, 1800), originally described from Cayenne, French Guiana. The main differences between these two species are said to be found in the colour and colour pattern: M. brevicaudata is stated to be bicoloured: reddish brown above, pale beneath, while in M. touan the body is tricoloured: the dorsal parts are described as blackish brown, the sides as rufous and the ventral surface as white or whitish. In the material of Monodelphis at my disposal, which consists of the above men- tioned eleven specimens from Suriname, it proved impossible to distinguish the two above mentioned "species". As shown above, the variation in the coat colour and in the colour pattern is such that all intermediates between the typical touan and the typical brevicaudata forms were found, while furthermore the colour of the underparts varies from almost pure white through creamy to slate grey. The skulls of these specimens did not show any significant differences. Therefore, on the basis of this material, I can only conclude that a single species of this genus occurs in Suriname, for which species the oldest specific name, brevicaudata, is adopted. A study of larger series remains highly desirable to definitely solve this question. On the basis of other material, Thomas (1888: 356-358) also arrived at the conclusion that the two forms are synonymous; Cabrera (1919: 42) originally was of the same opinion as Thomas but later changed his views. Marmosa cinerea demerarae Thomas, 1905 PI. 10 lower figures (skull) Marmosa cinerea demerarae Thomas, 1905, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (7) 16: 313-314. Type locality. — "Comackka, 80 miles up Demerara River, British Guiana". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958:13; Tate, 1933:62-63, pi. 1 fig. 4 (skull, dorsal view), pi. 14 fig. 126 (skull, ventral view), table 1, section 1 (measurements), under M. demerarae demerarae. Vernacular names. — (E) Ashy Opossum; (S) Moismoisi-awari. Distribution. — The species Marmosa cinerea (Temminck, 1824) is known from Venezuela, the Guianas, Brazil and Paraguay. The subspecies M. cinerea demerarae occurs in the north-eastern part of Venezuela and in the Guianas. Occurrence in Suriname. —• Little is known of the distribution of the present species in Suriname. Tate (1933:62) mentioned an adult female with two young from "Surinam" (without a more exact locality indication) preseived in the Stutt- gart Museum (no. 288/141 1/2). Sanderson (1949: 788, under Marmosa cinerea) dealt with a specimen from near Zanderij . I myself examined the following material from Suriname: 15 MARSUPIALIA 1. Plantation "Mary's Hope", just east of Totness, Coronie District, i adult female (no. 1 7 2l 9, skin and skull). 2. Raleigh Falls, Coppename River at about 4°4o'N, Saramacca District, i juvenile female (ZMA no. 16820, skin and skull). 3- Onverwacht, on highway from Paramaribo to Zanderij at about 25 km S. of Paramaribo, Para District, 1 adult male (no. 18069, skin and skull). 4- Langamankondre, north of Albina, mouth of Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 1 adult female (no. 18228, skin and skull), 1 juvenile male (no. 18230, skin and skull). Description. —The coat colour of the dorsal parts is greyish, heavily lined with yellowish buff, caused by the fact that the basal two-thirds of the hairs are slaty, the tips yellowish brown. The sides are somewhat lighter. There is a distinct dark ring around the eyes and a dark streak extends from either of the eyes to the rhina- num; the area between these two streaks is somewhat lighter and more yellowish buff than the posterior part of the head. The sides of the face are yellowish buff. The line of demarcation between the flanks and the ventral part of the body is not sharply defined. The hairs of the chin, throat, the inner surface of the forelegs and hind legs, the groins, and usually of a narrow median ventral stripe are uniformly cream coloured. The bases of the hairs of the belly are light greyish brown, so that here the creamy colour is washed with grey. The fur extends on to the tail, both dorsally and ventrally, for about 30 to 35 mm. The almost naked tail is always distinctly longer than head and body combined; its colour is brown, occasionally the hairs have a somewhat lighter tip. My full-grown specimens dorsally are of a more brownish grey colour than the young, which are of a more slate grey colour. Dental formula: 1§, C 1, P §, M The skull characters are essentially the same as those of M. lepida. The processus postorbitalis is distinct but short and widely triangular, posteriorly it ends in a ridge which overhangs the postorbital constric- tion. The three premolars are placed rather close together, the diastemata at either side of the first are small and of equal width. The posterior premolars touch each other; they are of the same size, being distinctly longer and higher than the small first premolar. In 4 specimens from Suriname the length of the upper three molars combined varies between 7.0 and 7.2 mm. In Table 3 the external and skull measurements of the above three adult Suriname specimens are provided; to these are added the measurements of the skull of the holotype of the subspecies, taken by me in the British Museum (Natural History). Remarks. — The Suriname material of this species examined by me confirms lates (1933:63) remark, that this form "is typically from the lowlands of the Guianas". Marmosa cinerea demerarae is the largest of the four known Suriname murine opossums. It is not difficult to distinguish fully grown specimens of M. c. demerarae from M. murina (see below), not only because the former species is much longer, but also because the base of its tail is furred above and beneath for about 30 to 35 mm (about 10 mm in the other species). With the few specimens at hand, how- ever, I could not find external characters by which the not fully grown individuals 16 MARSUPIALIA can be recognized with certainty; in these circumstances it is necessary to examine the skulls, which provide a number of characteis allowing an almost infallible identification. One of these characters is the combined length of the three anterior upper molars, which in the four specimens of M. c. demerarae examined by me varies from 7.0 to 7.2 mm, and in sixteen specimens of M. murina from 5.2 to 6.1 mm. Marmosa lepida (Thomas, 1888) PL 11 upper figures (skull) Didelphys (Micoureus) lepida Thomas, 1888a, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (6) i: 158. Type locality. — "Peruvian Amazonas". In his 1888 Catalogue, Thomas noted on page 348 that the (holo)type originated from "Santa Cruz, Huallaga R., Peruvian Amazons". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 18; Tate, 1933: 204-206, pi. 11 fig. 103 (skull, dor- sal view), pi. 24 fig. 225 (skull, ventral view), table 1, section 8 (measurements); Thomas, 1888: 347-348, pi. 3 fig. 1 (col. pi., animal), pi. 27 fig. 3 (skull, dorsal view). Distribution. — "Known from the lowlands adjoining the eastern foothills of the Andes in Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Dutch Guiana" (Tate, 1933: 206). Occurrence in Suriname. — The first mention from Suriname of the present species is the one by Thomas (1888: 347), who did not provide a more exact locality. Tate (1933: 205) mentioned specimens from "San Alouatta" and from Paramaribo. Tate's adult female from "San Alouatta" formed part of the collection of the Stuttgart Museum where it was preserved in alcohol, it clearly is the same specimen that Thomas (1888) mentioned from Suriname. I have been unable to find a locality TABLE 3 External and skull measurements of three specimens of Marmosa cinerea demerarae Thomas from Suriname (first three columns) and of the holotype from Guyana (last column). Museum RMNH RMNH RMNH BMNH Sex 9 9 6 9 Reg. number 18228 17219 18069 5.11.1.25 Head and body 151 134 183 166 Tail 220 206 234 250 Hind foot 23 23 26 24 Ear - 25 CondylobaBal length skull 42.9 - - 40.1 Basal length 41.5 - - 37.2 Palatal length 23.8 - " 22.1 Zygomatic breadth 24.7 " - 23.0 Interorbital constriction 7.2 " " 7.1 Breadth across frontals 8.6 - - - Length of upper tooth-row, c - 14.3 - - 14.5 1 3 Length of m - m 16.6 - 16.5 16.5 Length of mandible 7.1 " 7.2 7.1 Length of lower tooth-row, c - m. 32.0 4 29.7 33.4 31.5 Length of nij - ra^ 47.9 16.7 17.7 16.6 6.9 6.5 7.0 6.7 17 MARSUPIALIA "San Alouatta" on any of the Suriname maps at my disposal, and am inclined to doubt the correctness of the orthography of this name, if indeed a geographic locality is meant with it. Jentink (1887: 302, under Didelphis murina, no. a) listed a juvenile skull of the present species from Suriname. I have examined the following Suriname material of the species: 1. Neighbourhood of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 2 juvenile females (nos. 18275a, 18275c, skulls), 1 juvenile male (no. 18275b, skull). 2. Gansee on Suriname River south of Paramaribo, in the area which now is covered by the Brolcopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, 1 adult male (no. 18081, skin and skull). 3- Eastern north coast of Suriname near Wiawia Bank, about 54°23'W, Marowijne District, 1 unsexed juvenile skull (no. 18084). 4. Nassau Mountains, west of Marowijne River, at about 4°45'N, Marowijne District, 1 juvenile female (no. 18082, skin and skull). 5- Suriname (without more precise locality indication), 1 juvenile skull (no. 18085, the specimen mentioned by Jentink, 1887 as Didelphis murina no. a), 1 adult male (no. 12867, skin and skull, leg. D. G. J. Bolten, probably from near Paramaribo). Description. — The adult male specimen (no. 18081) from Gansee agrees very well with the descriptions found in the literature. The dorsal parts are deep reddish brown, the basal three-fourth of the hairs being blackish, the tips reddish brown. The strongly marked black ring around the eyes extends onto the rhinarium; the area of the face between these dark markings is pinkish. The sides are somewhat lighter than the back. Without a distinct line of demarcation, the reddish brown colour of the flanks passes into the dirty white or ivory colour of the ventral surface, which shows a more or less clearly marked pinkish tinge. This pinkish tinge lacks entirely in a longitudinal area along the middle of the belly and the abdomen. The ears are small, having a length of about 12 to 15 mm. The brownish colouied tail, which is about one and a half times as long as the head and body combined, is slightly furred at its base. The dorsal surface of the juvenile (no. 18082) from the Nassau Mountains is dark greyish brown, its ventral surface is whitish. Dental formula: 11, C 1, P §, M f. In five specimens from Suriname the length of the upper molars, nd-m 3 , varies from 4.7 to 5.2 mm. The external measurements of the adult male from Gansee (no. 18081) and those noted by Tate (1933) for a specimen from Paramaribo are, respectively: head and body 108, 100; tail, 152, 150; hind foot, 18, 18; ear, —, 15 mm. Some skull measurements of the adult males no. 18081 and 12867 are > respectively: condylobasal length, —, 28.6; basal length, —, 26.4; palatal length, 15.9, 16.3; zygomatic breadth, 16.2, 15.6; interorbital constriction, 4.8, 4.7; breadth across canines, 4.1, 4.0; breadth acioss frontals 7.0, 6.9; breadth of braincase, 11.2, n. 4; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 4 , 11.3, 11.3; length of upper tooth-row, m'-m 3 , 5.0, 5>o; length of mandible, 20.3, 20.3; length of lower tooth-row, c-m 4 , 11.9,12. 1; length of lower tooth-row, nij-mj, 5.4, 5.3 mm. Remarks. — Concerning the discontinuous distributional area of Marmosa lepida, a te (1933: 206) remarked: "The seemingly broken distribution suggests that lepida 18 MARSUPIALIA has a very wide range. Its rarity in collections may be due to peculiar habits re- quiring special methods of trapping". The few Suriname specimens examined by me evidently give an incomplete picture of its actual distribution in that country. Unfortunately nothing is known about the habitat of the collected specimens. Tate (1931: 12) described a new subspecies of Marmosa lepida from "Buenavista, Santa Cruz, Bolivia", which he named M. lepida grandis (see also Tate, 1933: 207). Cabrera (1958: 18), however, considered Tate's subspecies to be identical with the nominate form, and gave as his opinion that it is possible that in the Guianas a form occurs which is subspecifically distinct from the typical M. lepida, known from Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador. To solve this question the examination of large series from various localities within the range of distribution of the species is necessary. For the time being, I follow Cabrera who considered Marmosa lepida to be a species without well-defined geographical races. Marmosa murina murina (Linnaeus, 1758) Text-fig. 3a (skull), pi. 4 (animal), pi. 10 upper figures (skull), pi. 1 fig. 2 (hind foot) Didelphis murina Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae, (ed. 10) 1: 55. Type locality. — "Habitat in Asia, America". Restricted by Thomas (1911: 144) to "Surinam". See also under Remarks. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 19-20; Tate, 1933: 92-96 (under M. murina murina, pi. 3 figs. 22, 23, 24 (skull, dorsal view), pi. 16 figs. 144, 145, 146 (skull, ventral view), table 1, section 2 (measurements)), and pp. 96-97 (under M. murina muscula), pi. 3 figs. 25, 26 (skull, dorsal view), pi. 16 figs. 147, 148 (skull, ventral view), table 1, section 3 (measurements). Vernacular names. — (E) Murine Opossum, Mouse Opossum; (S) Boesi-mois-moisi. Distribution. — Tate (1933: 92, fig. 12) recorded the following distribution for the species Marmosa murina (Linnaeus, 1758): "Southern half of the Orinoco basin southward as far as a line passing through Pernambuco, the northern edge of Matto Grosso, and the Rio Maranon; westward to the subtropics of the Andes, with an extension over on to the eastern subtropical slopes of the Magdalena Valley which continues northward into Venezuela". According to Cabrera (1958: 20) the nominate subspecies M. murina murina occurs in the Guianas and north-eastern Brazil (see further under Remarks). Occurrence in Surinam. — The first record of the species from Suriname is that by Merian (1719: 66, pi. 66), who gave a figure of the female carrying six young on the back, with their tails holding on to that of the mother. Seba (1734: 49, pi. 31 fig. 5) figured another female specimen of the species from Suriname, but the artist added to the figure of the animal 6 young on the back, which young are exactly copied from Merian, except for the tails which are in a different position. The adult animal of Seba was figured after an actual specimen, which now is in the British Museum and is selected here as the lectotype of Didelphis dorsigera L. (see below). MARSUPIALIA 19 Bellin (1763: 155, pi. 1) under the name "Zak-Rot ou Rat de Surinam" mentioned this species from Suriname (basing himself on Merian's account) and gave a figure, which is different from both that by Seba and the one by Merian, but probably inspired on the latter. The other authors of the 18th century dealing with Suriname mammals, do not give descriptions which might be assigned with certainty to Mar- moset murina (e.g., Fermin (1769: 113) mentioned a Mus scalopes which might be this species). Stedman (1796 (2): 145) did not believe in the species: "Madam Merion mentions one kind of them [opossum species], which, in time of danger, carries its young ones upon its back: but this animal, I confess, I never heard of in Surinam, and am peisuaded of its non-existence". Von Sack (1821 (2): 203), however, con- firmed Merian's observation, describing a specimen with 5 young seen by him; Von Sack's description, however, is not too clear and might also pertain to Metachirops opossum or another opossum. Temminck (1824 (1): 50) described under the name Didelphis dorsigera material from Suriname, which clearly belongs here; Temminck evidently did not see any material of what he considered Didelphis murina. Lammens (1844: 95 > 96) mentioned both “D. dorsygera” and D. murina, basing himself mostly on the literature. Kappler (1887) did not deal with either species. The Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", n January 1906) gave an account of the habits of Didelphis dorsigera and also recognized D. murina; ; it is impossible from their account to conclude whether or not D. murina is correctly identified by them. Jentink (1888: 22 *) in the catalogue of the Leiden Museum listed both "species" from Suriname, both collected by H. H. Dieperink between 1824 and 1836, but all these specimens prove to belong to the present species. Thomas (1888:346) and Tate (1933:94) reported upon a specimen from Suriname without a more precise locality indication; Tate (1933: 97), moreover, mentioned M. murina muscula specimens from Berg en Dal (Suriname River about 70 km S. of Paramaribo), and from "Maroni" (= Maro- wijne Rivier). On the whole there is a great confusion about the status of the present species in the popular literature, while in scientific publications, this confusion is far less great. I have examined the following Suriname material of this species: !• Forest on the western slope of Vier Gebroeders Mountain, Sipaliwini savanna, near Sipali- wmi airstrip, upper Corantijn basin near Brazilian border, Nickerie District, S.W. Suriname, 1 male (no. 20636, skin and skull). 2 - In cabin in bushnegro settlement of Bitagron, on right bank of Coppename River about 75 vm from the coast, Saramacca District, 1 male (no. 18075, skin and skull). s ku]i)'" u PP er Coppename River near Raleigh Falls, 1 male (no. 19893, skin and P 4- Near Adampada Creek, west branch of Linker Coppename River, south-west of Raleigh a s, Saramacca District, 1 female (no. 18070, skin and skull). D anana plantation "Jarikaba", west of Paramaribo on highway to Uitlcijk, Suriname 'strict, 1 female (no. 21655, skin and skull). • Plantation "Clevia", on Suriname River north-east of Paramaribo, 1 male (no. 21665, s «m and skull). Cl .Plantation "Morgenstond", on Suriname River north-east of Paramaribo (south-west of 1 V1 a), 1 male (no. 17240, skin and skull), 2 females (nos. 17243, 17250, skins and skulls). MARSUPIALIA 20 8. Agricultural Experimental Station (Cultuurtuin), Paramaribo, i female (no. 18282, skin and skull). 9. Paramaribo, various localities in and close near the town, 2 males (no. 16052, skull; no. 18198, skin and skull), 1 female (no. 24287, skull). 10. Plantation "Peperpot", on east bank of Suriname River, south-east of Paramaribo, 3 females (nos. 18071-18073, skins and skulls). xi. Lelydorp about 15 km south of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 male (no. 22130, skin and skull), 2 females (nos. 22131, 22574, skins and skulls). 12. Small forest in savanna near Zanderij, 40 km south of Paramaribo, Para District, 1 specimen (no. 18283, skin and skull). 13. Shell ridge at 3.8 km north of Moengo, Marowijne District, north-eastern Suriname, 1 female (no. 12868, skin and skull). 14. Suriname without more accurate locality indication, 1 male (no. 24307, skin and skull), 4 females (no. 18086, skull; nos. 19617, 24305, 24306, skins and skulls), 1 unsexed specimen (no. 22351, skin and skull). Description. — The dorsal coat colour is greyish brown, becoming lighter brown laterally. The basal parts of the hairs are slate grey, the tips straw coloured. The head is characterized by a dark, blackish ring around the eye, the black colour extending towards the tip of the snout in a narrowing triangular patch. Posteriorly the black area stops either immediately behind the eye or is produced in a short point which reaches slightly obliquely upward. Between the two black areas the dorso-median region of the head is pale buff, gradually or more abruptly changing into the greyish brown colour of the vertex, which is the same as that of the back of the animal; on the vertex this greyish colour occupies the area between the ears and the posterior part of the black mask. The cheeks are of a light colour, almost similar to that of the lower surface of the body; this pale cheek colour extends almost to the base of the ears. The ears are large, rounded, rather dark, and covered with very few, short, scattered hairs, being naked to the naked eye. The outer sur- face of the legs is of the same colour as the dorsal surface of the body, except for the hind feet which are whitish dorsally. The entire ventral surface is whitish or cream, from the tip of the lower jaw to the base of the tail, including the inside of the legs. The demarcation with the colour of the lateral surface usually is well marked. The fur extends on to the tail for a short distance, not more than 10 mm; the colour of this fur is almost the same doi sally and ventially, being greyish brown dorsally (like the rest of the dorsal colour), slightly more brownish ventrally. In many old illustrations (Merian, 1719: pi. 66; Seba, 1734: pi. 31 figs. 2, 3, 4) the tail is figured as being irregularly spotted with dark brown. In my preserved specimens such a colour pattern is not or not distinctly visible; here the ventral surface is slightly paler than the dorsal Marmosa murina closely resembles M. cinerea demerarae in the coat colour; the dorsal parts, however, are slightly more mixed with brown or fuscous brown. The colour of the ventral surface of the two species is very similar. The base of the tail in M. murina is furred over a shorter distance, 10 mm, than in M. cinerea demerarae (30 to 35 mm). The former species furthermore is smaller than the latter. MARSUPIALIA 21 Dental formula: I §, C P §, M f. Of the three premolars, the first is half as high and less than hal f as long as the second, from which it is separated by a short diastema, the first premolar is placed against the canine; the second and third are of the same size and touch each other. The processus postorbitalis is short and wide and con- tinues posteriorly in a carina which obscures the postorbital constriction. The external measurements of an adult male from Clevia (no. 21665) and. an adult male from Bitagron (no. 18075) are respectively: head and body, 127, 123; tail, 173, 174; hind foot 21, 22; ear, 20, 23 mm. Some skull measurements of the Clevia speci- men are: condylobasal length, 34.9; zygomatic breadth, 19.3; combined length of the first three upper molars, 6.1 mm. In sixteen specimens of the present species the last mentioned measurement (length of three upper molars) varies from 5.2 to 6.1 mm. As also clearly illustrated by the skull measurements, M. murina is much small er than M. cinerea demerarae. Remarks.— According to data in the literature on Suriname marsupials, the present species produces 4 to 7 young per litter. Merian (1719) shows 6 young and mentioned 5 or 6. Jentink (1888) listed a specimen with 4 and one with 7 young, and the brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 11 January 1906) gave the number of young as 6. The Murine Opossum is a nocturnal animal. The Penard brothers comment on the fact that it is a good climber and is often found in bamboo growths, where the smooth bamboo stalks cause no difficulty to their climbing activities. These opossums make their nests in hollow trees and other protected places; the three specimens from plantation "Peperpot" (nos. 18071-18073) were found in a hollow old cocoa fruit (pi. 4), in which a nest of dead leaves had been made. Mr. K. van Deursen of Paramaribo informed me (in litt., 12 Dec. 1974) that he had observed an opossum, most likely of this species, which in the evening collected dead leaves of Thunbergia alata, carried these first in its mouth and then transferred them to its tail, and, carry- mg the leaves with its tail, climbed up to the roof of the house, probably to its nest. The fact that the young of this species are carried by the mother on her back and grasp their mother's tail with their own little tails, has often been discussed and figured (e.g., by Merian in 1719, by Seba in 1734, and by Bellin in 1763). Al- though some authors cast doubt on the correctness of this observation, it has been sufficiently substantiated by reliable observers. The above-mentioned series of 16 specimens from different areas in Suriname is too small to decide the question whether or not more than one subspecies of Marmosa murina occurs in this region. According to Tate (1933: Q4-Q5) the nominate form, M. murina murina, occurs "from at least as far south as Pernambuco north-west to Brazilian Guiana, and probably along the narrow coastal strip between the sea and the heavy rain forest as far as British Guiana". In the rain forest this form is saul to be replaced by M. murina muscula (Cabanis, 1848). Cabrera (1958: 20), how- ever, was of the opinion that the subspecies muscula can not be distinguished from the typical M. murina murina. To solve this question it is necessary that large series of Marmosa murina be collected in different biotopes of the coastal plain as MARSUPIALIA 22 well as in the interior of the country. In the material at hand I can not find any significant differences between the specimens from the coastal plain and those from the interior. Therefore, for the time being, I follow Cabrera and accept that the nominate subspecies of Marmosa murina is the only form occurring in Suriname. The present species was described by Linnaeus (1758: 55) under two different names, viz., Didelphis murina and D. dorsigera. Under Didelphis murina, Linnaeus referred to “Amoenit. acad. 1. 279" and to Seba's Thesaurus, vol. 1, p. 48, "t. 31. f. 12, 36". The reference to the Amoenitates (evidently vol. 1, p. 279 is meant) might be an error. This part of the Amoenitates (vol. 1, pp. 277-326, pis. 13, 14), namely, deals with "Museum Adolpho-Fridericianum" and on p. 279 "Didelphis mammae intra abdomen" is described; the references and description given here pertain for the greatest part to Didelphis marsupialis and partly to Metachirops opossum. Linnaeus (1758: 54) gave the same reference ("Amoen. acad. 1. p. 279") under Didel- phis marsupialis, where it is more correctly placed than under D. murina. Linnaeus's second reference under Didelphis murina evidently contains a lapsus "t. 31. f. 12, 36" should read "t. 31. f. 1, 2, 3, 6", as there are no more than 10 numbered figures on pi. 31 of Seba's Thesaurus vol. 1. Figures 1, 2, and 3 indeed represent what is now generally considered Marmosa marina ; fig. 6, however, shows Monodelphis brevicaudata. Linnaeus's Didelphis murina thus is a composite species, and in order to prevent any confusion I now select as the lectotype of this species the female figured by Seba on pi. 31 fig. 2, which at present is preserved in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) under no. 67.4.12.542 (see Thomas, 1892: 314). Under Didelphis dorsigera, Linnaeus (1758: 55) referred to "Seba. mus. 1 p. 49. t. 31. f. 5, 4 & 2. p. 90. t. 84. f. 4" and also to “Merian surin.”. Seba (1734, Thesaurus, vol. 1, p. 49, pi. 31 figs. 4 and 5) and (1736, Thesaurus, vol. 2, p. 90, pi. 84 fig. 4) as well as Merian (1719, Over de Voortteeling en Wonderbaerlyke Veranderingen der Surinaemsche Insecten: 66, pi. 66) showed clearly what is at present considered Marmosa murina. As lectotype I now select the adult female specimen figured by Seba on pi. 31 fig. 5 (this figure is composite, the adult specimen obviously is made after an actual specimen, the juveniles on the back of this specimen are in exactly the same position as in Merian's (1719) drawing and clearly are copied). This lecto- type specimen is now in the British Museum (Nat. Hist.) under no. 67.4.12.546 (see Thomas, 1892: 314). The type locality for Didelphis murina is "Habitat in Asia, America" and for D. dorsigera "Habitat in America"; they both are restricted by Thomas (1911: 144) to "Surinam". As the synonymous names Didelphis murina L., 1758 and D. dorsigera L., 1758, date from the same day, their relative priority is decided by the first reviser. The first author, who considered the two names synonymous and used one of these in preference to the other is, as far as I can make out, Lydekker (1887: 282) who used the name “Didelphis murina” and remarked that D. dorsigera "is apparently identi- cal". Thomas (1888: 343-347) confirmed this synonymy. 23 MARSUPIALIA Marmosa emiliae Thomas, 1909 PI. 11 lower figures (skull) Marmosa emiliae Thomas, 1909, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (8) 3: 379-380. Type locality. — "Para" (= Belem), north-eastern Brazil. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958:30; Tate, 1933:189, pi. 10 fig. 89 (skull, dorsal view), pi. 23 fig. 210 (skull, ventral view), table x (section 7, measurements of the holotype only). Distribution. — Known from the type locality and now also reported from Suri- name. Occurrence in Suriname. — In August 1965 Mr. B. Malkin collected a juvenile male specimen near Langamankondre, north of Albina, mouth of the Marowijne River. In this specimen the first and second molars are in function, the third is not fully developed and does not attain the height of the second molar, while the fourth is still lacking. The specimen is preserved in the Leiden Museum under no. 18231 (skin and skull) Description. — I compared the Langamankondre specimen with the holotype, preserved in the British Museum (Natural History) (no. 9.3.9.10). My specimen shows all essential characters of Marmosa emiliae, of which Tate (1933: 189) re- marked that "the unusual feature in emiliae is the very long tail", which "is nearly twice length of head and body". Also the other characters discussed by Thomas, in the original description of the species, and by Tate, are shown by the Suriname specimen. The colour of the hairs of the dorsal surface is of a dull chestnut-brown tinge, caused by the fact that about the basal three-fourths of the hairs are slaty, followed by a light yellowish part, while the tips are brown. The black ring around the eyes is well marked, and is continued by a black stripe to the rhinarium. The area between these two stripes is somewhat lighter than the back. The line of demar- cation is rather distinct. The colour of the ventral surface is cream, the hairs being unicoloured to the roots. The fur extends on the base of the tail for about 5 millimetres. The measurements of the Suriname specimen (with between brackets those of the holotype as noted by Thomas) are the following: head and body 60 (75), tail, 112 (14 2 ) ; hind foot, 12 (13) ; ear, 14 (16) mm. — Skull: greatest length 21.2 (23.5) ; basal length, 18.4 (21); palatal length, 11.2 (12.2); zygomatic breadth, n.8 (13); interorbi- tal breadth, 3.9 (4.2) ; combined length of the three anterior upper molars, 4.2 (4-2) mm. Remarks. — The present species seems to be extremely rare; Tate (1933: 189) remarked that no specimens were known to him apart from the holotype, collected ln February 1909. In the literature seen by me I have not found any additional records of it either, so that the Suriname specimen seems to be the second known of Marmosa emiliae. MARSUPIALIA 24 Metachirops opossum opossum (Linnaeus, 1758) Text-fig. 2c (incisors and canines), pi. 5 (animal), pi. 8 upper figures (skull), pi. 1 fig. 3 (hind foot) Didelphis Opossum Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae, (ed. 10) 1: 55. Type locality. — "Habitat in America". Linnaeus's (1758) description is based exclusively on Seba's (1734: 56, 57J "Philander, Opossum, sive Carigueja, brasilien- sis; mas" (pi. 36 fig. 1) and "Philander, Americanus, seu, Carigueja, cum catulis, saccum ventris intrantibus; foemina" (pi. 36 fig. 2). Seba gave as definite localities for his specimens Brazil (for the male) and Suriname (for the female). J. A. Allen 11900: 195) restricted the type locality to "Surinam" (as Thomas, 1911: 143, also did), and Matschie (1916:268) restricted it further to "Paramaribo, Surinam". Hershkovitz (1976: 297) selected as the lectotype of Didelphis opossum L., the female figured by Seba (1734: 57) on his pi. 36 fig. 2. This selection is in agreement with the type locality restrictions, as the selection of the other specimen (the male) would have necessitated to change the type locality to Brazil. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958:36 (under Philander o. ■); Hershkovitz, 1949:11; Pine, 1973: 391; Thomas, 1888: 329-332, 341 (under Didelphys o.). Vernacular names. — (E) Four-eyed Opossum, Quica Opossum; (N) Opossum, Vieroog-opossum; (S) Fo-ai Awari. Distribution. — The species Metachirops opossum (Linnaeus, 1758) ranges from north-eastern Mexico southward through Central America into South America, where it is known from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northern Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil and the Guianas. The nominate subspecies M. opossum opossum occurs in the Guianas and the lower Amazon area. Occurrence in Suriname. — Metachirops opossum is very common in the coastal area of Suriname, where it often has been found near and even in human settlements. There are a few records from the foothills (Avanavero Falls; Brokopondo area), but so far the species has not been found in the interior of the country. Seba (1734) was the first author who mentioned that the species occurs in Suriname (see under type locality). Under the name "Mouse-Opossum" Stedman (1796 (2): 144, pi. 57 upper fig.) very clearly described and figured the present species, which he obtained at the Perica Creek, a side creek of the Cottica River, south of Jerusalem. The next Suriname record of the species was by Von Sack (1821 (2): 203), who described it as the smallest of the Suriname opossums, being as large as a new born squirrel, and of a steel gray colour with 2 white spots over the eyes; the ears, tip of the nose and tail were reddish; possibly Von Sack's animal was young. Also Lammens (1844: 94) gave a recognizable description of the species. The Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", 11 January 1906) mentioned this species and distinguished it from Metachirus nudicaudatus. Sanderson (1949: 787) found the species to be very common in Suriname, he obtained several specimens near Paramaribo and one at Zanderij. During the "Operation Gwamba" (Walsh & Gannon, 1967:218) "85 Four-eyed opossum Metachirus nudicaudatus" 25 MARSUPIALIA were reported to have been taken; it is not clear whether these specimens belong to the present species or are a mixture of the present and the next species. The illustra- tion (a coloured plate opposite p. 160) provided by Walsh & Gannon of the "Four- eyed opossum" clearly shows Metachirops opossum. I have examined the following material of the present species: 1. Avanavero Falls in Kabalebo River, lower Corantijn basin, Niclcerie District, skull frag- ments (no. 21843). 2. Upper Nickerie River, Nickerie District, 1 female (no. 12841, skull). 3. Rijweg naar Kwatta, highway 9 km west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 skull (no. 21840). 4. Plantation "Clevia" on Suriname River north-east of Paramaribo, xi males (nos. 17753, *7794, 17806, 22101, skulls; nos. 21727, 22093, 22096, 22098, 22104, 22106, 22107, skins and skulls), 11 females (nos. 17795, 22109-22112, skulls; nos. 22099, 22100, 22102, 22103, 22105, 22108, skins and skulls). 5. Agricultural Experimental Station (Cultuurtuin), Paramaribo, 3 males (nos. 17247, 21938, 22091, skins and skulls), 5 females (nos. 17248, 17249, 22092, 22094, 22095, skins and skulls). 6. Paramaribo, various localities in and near the town, 3 males (nos. 1694, 12838, 16081, skins and skulls), 3 females (nos. 16080, 16082, 18197, skins and skulls). 7- Lelydorp, about 15 km south of Paramaribo on highway to Zanderij, 4 males (nos. 22085, 22086, 22088, 22089, skins and skulls), 2 females (nos. 22087, 22090, skins and skulls). 8. Near Para River on highway to Domburg, about 10 km south-east of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 male (no. 22097, skin and skull). 9- Near Commewijne River, Commewijne District, 1 male (no. 3959, skin and skull). 10. Albina on Lower Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 1 male (no. 23947, skin and skull). 11. Suriname (without more precise locality indication), 5 males (nos. 12836, 12837, 12843, 1:2847, skins and skulls), 3 females (nos. 7253, 12834, 12844, skins and skulls), 2 unsexed specimens (nos. 7252, 12842, skins and skulls). Description. — This description is based on all Suriname material listed above. The most striking characters of this species are the presence of a distinct sharply defined white spot above the eye (like in Metachirus nudicaudatus) and the bicoloured tail which has the dark basal part sharply separated from the white distal part (like in Didelphis marsupialis). The fur is short, soft and woolly. On the back it is dark § re y> grizzled with white, usually the central part is distinctly darker than the sides. The colour is more blackish and less brownish than in Metachirus. The hairs are of two types, the soft underfur is thin, greyish with a dark brown to black top, the Drger somewhat more bristle-like hairs likewise have a thin, greyish base, and the distal part is dark brown or almost black, usually with a white ring of variable width slightly below the dark tip. The fur of the head is of the same dark blackish brown colour as the median part of the back or even slightly darker; as here the bristle-like hairs do not show the white bands, the dark colour is of an even nature and is not grizzled with white. As already stated above there is a distinct sharply marked white spot over each eye. This spot may be rounded, oval, triangular or crescent-shaped. Another striking pale spot is present in front of the base of the ears. This spot differs from the one above the eyes in that it is larger, less well defined, more irregular 111 shape and less purely white, more cream coloured. The cheeks also are of a striking whitish or creamish colour; of the three pale spots on each half of the dorsal surface 26 MARSUPIALIA of the head, that of the cheek is largest. The ears are large and rounded, they are whitish with a broad black rim; scattered, short and inconspicuous pale hairs are visible on both the outer and the inner surface of the ear. The sides of the body are more grizzled with white or cream than the dorsal surface and consequently are of a paler grey colour. The outer surface of the legs is of the same pale grey colour. The ventral surface is cream coloured over its full length, from the chin to the base of the tail, washed with light grey on the throat, the middle of the belly and between the hind legs. These greyish areas are more distinct in some specimens than in others, and occupy a surface of variable size, but usually they are very faint. Also the inner surface of the legs has the same cream colour. The tail is about as long as head and body combined (usually it is somewhat shorter, but in some individuals it is a frac- tion longer). The fur on the base of the tail, which is of the same colour as that of the dorsal surface, extends on it for 50-75 mm and occupies about 1/4 to 1/5 of the entire length of the tail. This hairy part ends rather abruptly, the rest of the tail is scaly with scattered very short stiff hairs. The basal half of the scaly tail is of a black colour, the distal half is white, the two parts being sharply defined. The short hairs in the blackish part are entirely black, those of the white part entirely whitish. Juvenile specimens have the dorsal fur relatively longer, darker and less grizzled: the back is almost uniformly blackish, the sides are grizzled with white and resemble in colour the back of the adults. The white spots above the eyes are far less distinct, and less purely white, the white hairs being mixed with grey, also the spots before the ears and on the cheeks are less distinct. The legs are black both on the inside and out and the ventral surface varies from pale grey to grey. The tail is sharply two-toned. Dental formula: 1§, C j, P M |. The first premolar is more than half as high as the second, it is placed against the canine and separated from the second premolar by a quite small diastema. The second premolar is somewhat larger than the third, but of equal height. The postorbital processes are small, but rather distinct and triangular; they do not end in carinae; the postorbital constriction, which is situated far behind the processes is distinct. The sagittal crest is low, but very distinct, and anteriorly forms two divergent crests which are still lower and extend about to the base of the postorbital processes. The braincase is relatively narrow. The external measurements of an adult female from the Cultuurtuin at Paramaribo and of an adult female from "Clevia" are, respectively: head and body, 335, 308; tail, 278, 262; hind foot, with claw, 42, 42; ear, 40, 38 mm; weight, 420, —, grams. — Skull: condylobasal length, 73.0, 71.9; zygomatic breadth, 35.0, 35.6; combined length of the three anterior upper molars, n. 0, 12.0 mm. In 17 specimens this combined molar length varies from 10.5 to 12.8 mm (mean: 11.6 mm). The shape of the skull is shown in pi. 8 (upper figures). Remarks. — Little is known concerning the biology of the present species in Suriname. On 3 January 1963 we found a nest with a female and 7 juveniles under a tree near Lelydorp. The adult female and one juvenile escaped. Of the six remaining MARSUPIALIA 27 juveniles, of which the length of head and body was about 150 millimetres, four were males and two females. In March and April of the same year we found six females with pouch young; two of these females had two young each, the four other females had one, three, four and five young, respectively. These data are rather well in agreement with those given by Phillips & Jones (1969) for specimens of Metachirops opossum from Nicaragua. In the stomach of a Garden Tree Boa, Corallus enydris enydris (Linnaeus), caught at Paramaribo, I found remains of the present species. It is not known whether or not this snake feeds regularly on opossums. According to Seba (1734: 56) the food of this species consists of fruit, leaves, bark, sugar cane, birds and poultry. The brothers Penard ("De Suiinamer", 11 January 1906) indicate that they are found mostly in cane fields, and grassland, where they burrow in the ground, but they also occur in forests. Their food consists of fruit, insects, birds, crabs, etc. Sanderson (1949: 787) mentioned the species as common in gardens on the outskirts of Paramaribo and remarked that it is "almost entirely terrestrial and as active in the day as in the night". Sanderson, however, also found specimens in trees (mostly fruit bearing mangoes). My own observations confirm Sanderson's; once we found some of these opossums under the floor of a house at Telydorp. Hershkovitz (1949) suggested that the generic name Philander Tiedemann, 1808, should be used for the present genus rather than Metachirops. Pine (1973) opposed Hershkovitz's contention and thought Metachirops the conect name. I agree with Pine, be it for different reasons. Hershkovitz's account is very clear and he is correct m considering Philander virginianus Tiedemann, 1808, to be the type species of the genus Philander Tiedemann, 1808. However, Hershkovitz (1949, 1976) made the mistake to consider the name Philander virginianus Tiedemann, 1808, a replacement for Didelphis opossum Linnaeus, 1758. It is true that Linnaeus's name is given as a synonym in Tiedemann's account, but there is no indication that it should be treated differently from the other references given under Philander virginianus. In fact Philander virginianus Tiedemann is a composite species based in part on Didelphis opossum Linnaeus (reference to Linnaeus, and possibly also part of the references to Buffon and Schreber), partly on Metachirus nudicaudatus (E. Geoffroy, 1803) (again Possibly part of the references to Buffon and Schreber, as well as the description provided by Tiedemann himself) and partly on Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (part of the references to Buffon and Schreber, the references to Tyson (1698) and Lowper (1704), and the mention of Virginia as one of the type localities; also the fact that the name virginianus is used points in this direction). So far as I know no lectotype has ever been designated for Philander virginianus Tiedemann, 1808, and therefore I now select as such the female specimen from Virginia discussed by Tyson (1698). In this way Philander virginianus Tiedemann, 1808, becomes a junior syno- nym of Didelphis virginiana Kerr (1792: 193), and the generic name Philander Wiedemann, 1808, disappears in the synonymy of Didelphis Linnaeus, 1758. In this 28 MARSUPIALIA way the solution by Pine (1973) is attained without intervention by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature. The type species of the genus Metachirops Matschie, 19x6, is Didelphis quica, described by Temminck (1824: 36-38) from Brazil. Pine (1973: 398) stated: "I have been unable to find a formal proposal of a species to be regarded as the type-species of Metachirops" , but as Hershkovitz (1967: 300) correctly pointed out, in the original publication of the generic name Metachirops, Matschie (1916: 268) in the enumeration of the species of his new genus clearly gave the indication "Typus" after Metachirops quica. Therefore Didelphis quica Temminck, 1824, is the type of Metachirops Mat- schie, 19x6, by original designation. Hershkovitz (1949: 12) was in error when indi- cating Didelphis opossum Linnaeus, 1758, as the type of Matschie's genus. In a later publication Hershkovitz (1976) showed the true state of affairs in regard to the type species of Metachirops. The generic names Didelphys, Metachirus and Philander have been commonly used for the Four-eyed Opossum. Metachirus nudicaudatus nudicaudatus (E. Geoffroy, 1803) Didelphis nudicaudata E. Geoffroy, 1803, Catalogue Mammiferes Museum National Hist. nat. Paris: 142. Type locality. — "Cayenne". Geoffroy (1803) mentioned "Patrie. L'Amerique meridionale" and stated that the single type specimen was sent by "M. Martin, botaniste du gouvernement a Cayenne". The holotype is still in the Paris Museum (coll. no. 434) and is labelled "Cayenne Martin". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 38; Krumbiegel, 1941b: 194-199; Thomas, 1888: 332-334, 341 (under Didelphys). Vernacular names. — (E) Rat-tailed Opossum, Brown (Four-eyed) Opossum, Brown-masked Opossum; (N) Bruine Opossum; (S) Froktu-awari. Distribution. — Metachirus nudicaudatus (E. Geoffroy, 1803) occurs "from Nicaragua southeastward to Brazil, Paraguay, and northeastern Argentina" (Walker, 1964 (1): 22); the nominate subspecies . M. nudicaudatus nudicaudatus is known from the Guianas and from Brazil north of the Amazon. Occurrence in Suriname. — The Suriname records of this species in the literature are few and usually unreliable, because of the confusion with other species. The only reliable record is that by the Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", n January 1906), who clearly described the present species, but give no details about occurrence or biology. So far Metachirus nudicaudatus is only known from the area of Zanderij and Republiek about 35-40 km S. of Paramaribo; this region consists mostly of savannas and gallery forests. A young female specimen, trapped on 23 February 1963 at about 9 p.m. in the gallery-forest along the Coropina Kreek near Republiek, is now preserved in the Leiden Museum (no. 18074). I n the collection of the British Museum (Natural History), London, there is an adult female (no. 52.1222), which was trapped by I. T. Sanderson alongside a small creek near Zanderij on 19 August MARSUPIALIA 29 I 935- I n the stomach of an owl belonging to the species Asio clamator clamator (Vieillot), which was shot on 10 November 1963 near Zanderij, I found fragments of the skull of the Rat-tailed Opossum, indicating that this owl is one of the predators of the present species. Description. — The description is made from the specimen no. 18074. As in Metachirops opossum, there is a white or creamy white spot over each eye. The upper parts of the animal are greyish brown sprinkled with yellowish brown. The head has a striking colour pattern. A dark band extends from the tip of the snout through the eyes, along the base of the ears to a point midway between the ears. This dark colour forms a ring around the eyes. Above each eye there is a clear, well demarcated oval, white or creamy white spot. In the median area of the head, between the two dark bands, the colour of the fur is greyish brown, slightly darker in the middle, and gradually becoming darker posteriorly. A clear rufous brown spot is present behind the base of each ear. Between these two spots the dark colour of the head narrows in a posteriorly directed point. The lower part of the face, viz., the part below the dark line, is white or whitish; this white area is sharply defined, doi sally by the dark line, posteriorly (some distance before the ear) by an almost vertical line which separates it from the brownish grey colour of the posterior part of the cheek and the side of the neck. There is no light spot before the ears (as found in Metachirops). The ears are large and rounded, of a dark colour, and covered with rather sparse, short hairs. The outer surface of the legs is of the same colour as the back. The feet are whitish. The flanks are paler and more greyish, less brownish than the back. Their colour is rather sharply set off from the white or creamy white colour of the ventral surface. The entire ventral surface, from the chin to the tail including the inner side of the legs, is of a uniform almost pure white or slightly creamy white colour. The tail is always longer than head and body combined. The fur extends only about 5 to at most 25 mm over the base of the tail (against 50 to 75 mm in Metachi- rops). The rest of the tail is scaly with a short appressed pubescence. The colour of the tail is iiregular: the tip is white, the basal part darker, but the colours are nowhere sharply separated as in Metachirops ; white spots occur near the base and dark spots U P to near the tip. As a rule the lower surface of the tail is lighter than the upper. In this species the pouch is absent (Pine, 1973: 392). Dental formula: 1£, C P |, M |. The skull of the present species closely resembles that of Metachirops opossum, in size as well as in shape. In addition to the two females from Suriname listed above, I examined the holotype specimen of Didelphis n udicaudata from Cayenne, preserved in the Paris Museum, and the two syntypes °f Didelphis myosurus Temminck, 1824, from Brazil, preserved in the Leiden Museum. All three specimens belong to the present species. The following measure- ments are based on the total material examined; unfortunately the skulls of the three types are rather badly damaged. The combined length of the upper three molars varies from 10.0 to 10.5 mm. The width of the second premolar is 1.1 mm (it MARSUPIALIA 30 is 1.8 mm in Metachirops opossum). The processus postorbitalis is absent in the present species. The braincase is relatively wide. I agree with Thomas (1888: 333) that the teeth of the present species as a whole are "lighter and more delicate" than in Metachirops opossum, and that "the upper premolars especially are markedly thinner transversely than in that species". The adult female from Zanderij in the British Museum, according to the data noted on the label, has the following measurements: head and body, 245; tail, 290; hind foot, 41 mm. In the young female from Coropina Kreek these measurements are 176, 227 and 35 mm, respectively. Remarks. — In several popular publications on Suriname the Dutch name "Kaal- staart" (= naked tail) has indiscriminately been used for any marsupial with a long tail in which the hairs are so short as to be practically invisible to the naked eye. The first author to do so was Pistorius (1763: 58). The fact that the Dutch word "kaalstaart" and the latin epithet nudicaudatus have the same meaning, may be the reason that in Suriname the name nudicaudatus is often incorrectly applied. Because Metachirus nudicaudatus and Metachirops opossum show a strong super- ficial resemblance to each other, they are easily confused and the more familiar name is often used for the wrong species, namely the more common of the two. Metachirops opossum, namely, occurs frequently near Paramaribo and is easily obtainable, while Metachirus nudicaudatus is only known from the savanna area farther in the interior, is very elusive, and is rarely trapped, even by professional collectors. From Suriname I have received twice a specimen of M. opossum that was provisionally identified by its collector as M. nudicaudatus. In some medical and general papers on mammals of Suriname the name M. nudicaudatus is used, e.g., in a paper on histoplasmosis in Suriname mammals by Collier & Winckel (1952: 351); it is unlikely, however, that this rare species is the one used for anatomical and parasitological purposes. Walsh & Gannon (1967: 218) reported 85 "Four-eyed opossum, Metachirus nudicaudatus” as having been saved during the "Operation Gwamba" in the flooded Brokopondo region, while Metachirops opossum was not listed by them at all; their coloured illustration (plate opposite p. 160) of a "Four- eyed opossum", however, shows a specimen of Metachirops opossum, so that it is evident that part or all of the material identified by them as Metachirus nudicaudatus does not belong to that species, but to Metachirops opossum. This clearly illustrates that the use in previous Suriname literature of the epithet nudicaudatus by non- professional taxonomists should be regarded with a great deal of reserve. Didelphis marsupialis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 PI. 6 (animal), pi. 9 lower figures (skull), pi. 1 fig. 4 (hind foot) Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae, (ed. 10) 1: 54. Tj'pe locality. — "Habitat in America". Restricted by Thomas (1911: 143) to "Surinam". MARSUPIALIA 31 3 Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 42-43; Krumbiegel, 1941a: 32-37, 42-47; Thomas 1888: 323-328, 341. Vernacular names. — (E) Common Opossum; (N) Gewone Opossum, Grote Buidelrat; (S) Awari, Dagoe-awari. Distribution. — The species Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758, ranges from Tamaulipas, Mexico (see Gardner, 1973: 69 and fig. 14) into South America south- ward as far as Bolivia, northern Argentina and eastern Brazil (see Hershkovitz, 1969: 54, 55). The nominate subspecies D. marsupialis marsupialis has been reported from Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad, the Guianas and from there as far south as northern Brazil, Ecuador and northern Peru. Occurrence in Suriname. — Didelphis marsupialis is one of the most common mammals of the coastal region of Suriname to be found near human habitations. In Paramaribo it is still present in considerable numbers, although in recent years it occurs there less frequently than before; especially the old males, called "Dagoe- awari", have become rare. Little is known about the occurrence of the species in the forests of the more interior parts of Suriname. In the early Suriname literature animals are mentioned that probably are Didelphis marsupialis, but the descriptions are usually rather superficial. So Herlein (1718: 172) described the 'Seiwoy, also called Cerigons, this is white, black and gray, resembling a cat; it has also a tail. It usually gives birth to six young, and has a pouch in its belly with an aperture of about 10 cm, behind the aperture there is some skin so that the belly is not open; in the pouch there are tits. The animal carries the young in the pouch; the young enter and leave the pouch, and stay there until they are independant'. Merian (1719: 66) mentioned the occurrence in Suriname of the 'so-called Bag- or Purse-Rat which always carries its young in its body; the young come out for feeding, but afterwards crawl back into the belly of the mother'. The "Boschrotten" mentioned by Hartsinck (1770: 98) probably also belong here. I he first author who gave a recognizable account of the present species from Surinam, so far as I can ascertain, is Stedman (1796 (2): 325-327). Stedman, who indicated the species with the name "Philander, or Mexican opossum", reported it from the Cassipora camp, situated at the confluence of the Cottica River and the Cassipoery Creek (north-eastern Suriname). Von Sack (1821 (2): 202) used the name "Zwart- oorige-Opossum" (= black eared opossum) for it and described a juvenile specimen from Suriname. Also Lammens (1844: 94 no. 125) listed the species for Suriname. Kappler (1886: 66) mentioned the species under the incorrect name Didelphis dorsigera. The Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", 11 January 1906) gave an extensive account of the species and stated that the animals are especially common near mhabited areas and are even numerous "in de stad" (= in town, i.e., in Paramaribo). I he picture of the occurrence of this species in Suriname as given by Sanderson (1949: 786) still holds true: "It was encountered in all types of forest and even in the coastal mangroves ... it is very prevalent in the town of Paramaribo. Here it mfests the houses, drains, holes in the banks of tidal ditches and the heads of the MARSUPIALIA 32 Royal Palms that carry many dead leaves. At night they may be seen scavenging in the streets under the large of shop lights. ... In the forest they are more truly arboreal but none the less bold and omnipresent. We are informed that they are often killed on coastal schooners sailing out of Paramaribo for the Caribbean". During the "Operation Gwamba", 151 specimens were reported to have been saved in the Brokopondo region (Walsh & Gannon, 1967: 218, plate opp. p. 161). I myself examined the following Suriname material: i. Wageningen, Nickerie District, north-western Suriname, i male (no. 22553, skull only). 2. Lucie River, branch of the Corantijn River, 2 males (nos. 18012, skin and skull; 18175, skin), 1 female (no. 18176, skin). 3. Sipaliwini airstrip near Brazilian border, extreme south-eastern Nickerie District, 1 skull (no. 1775°)- 4. Totness, garden of government resthouse, Coronie District, 1 juvenile male (no. 22118, skin and skull). 5. Groningen, on Saramacca River, Saramacca District, 1 female (no. 12855, skin and skull). 6. Plantation "Clevia", on Suriname River, north-east of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 2 skulls (nos. 22126, 22127). 7. Comb6, northern suburb of Paramaribo, on Suriname River, 1 male (no. 17763, skin and skull). 8. Cultuurtuin (Agricultural Experimental Station), Paramaribo, 2 males (nos. 17802 and 22119, skins and skulls), 3 females (nos. 17762, 17791, 22116, skins and skulls). 9. Paramaribo, various localities in town, 9 males (nos. 10789, 12856, 17775, 17803, 17805, 22114, 22115, 22i2r, 22T24, skins and skulls), r female (no. 17747, skin and skull), 2 specimens, sex unknown (nos. 12852, 12858, skins and skulls), 6 skulls (nos. 21726, 22125, 24025 (mandible only), 24026, 24027, 24028). io. Plantation "Meerzorg", eastbank of Suriname River, opposite Paramaribo, i male (no. 22122, skin and skull). ii. Leiding 5, canal west of Paramaribo on road from Paramaribo to Uitkijk, 1 male (no. 17744, skin and skull), 1 female (no. 17746, skin and skull). 12. Kasabaholo Creek, 7 km south-west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 2 females (nos. 16164, 16165, skins and skulls). 13. Copieweg between Paramaribo and Zanderij, about 4 km south of Lelydorp, Para District, 2 males (nos. 22113, 22117, skins and skulls), 1 female (no. 17782, skin and skull). 14. Nieuw Amsterdam, at confluence of Suriname and Commewijne Rivers, Commewijne District, 1 female (no. 22123, skin and skull). 15. Commewijne District, 1 female (no. 3957, skull only). 16. Bigisanti, Wia-Wia nature reserve on the coast, west of Wia-Wia, Marowijne District, north-eastern Suriname, 1 male (110. 23955, skin and skull). 17. Oelemarie airstrip on Oelemarie River, upper Marowijne basin, south-eastern Suriname, Marowijne District, 1 skull (no. 22120). 18. Suriname (without more precise locality data), 2 males (nos. 12854, 12857; skins and skulls), 2 females (nos. 12853, 24292, skins and skulls), 6 specimens, sex unknown (nos. 12859, 12860, 12861, skins and skulls; nos. 22128, 22129, 23961, skulls). Description. — The following description is based on the above listed Suriname specimens. The species is characterized by its large size, black ears and long, scaly bicoloured tail. The fur of the body is formed by three kinds of hairs. The soft woolly underfur consists of cream coloured hairs which are thin and wavy and which some- times show a darker tip. The second type of hairs consists of thin stiff bristles, which end in a sharp point; these are cream coloured at the base and dark, almost 33 MARSUPIALIA black in the distal part. The third type is formed by more heavy bristles, which broaden at the top and are split there into three or more points. These heavy bristles usually are black for the greater part of their length, the base being cream coloured. In most specimens the two types of bristles are not very dense, so that the cream coloured underfur shows very clearly and gives the impression that the animal is cream coloured, lightly or intensely streaked with black. In some specimens, part or all of the hairs of the third type are cream coloured throughout and these speci- mens give the impression of dirty white animals. Usually the dark colour of the body is concentrated along the middle of the back, so that often a narrower or wider longitudinal irregular dark median dorsal band is visible. The head shows the first two types of hairs, the heavy more-topped bristles are few and usually restricted to the posterior part of the head. The hairs of the head thereby are softer and shorter than those of the body, but here too the cream coloured woolly underfur shows plainly and is interspersed with the dark more bristly second type of hairs. A definite colour pattern lacks, but usually an irregular median dark line of variable length is visible; the area around the eyes is somewhat darker than the rest of the face, this darker area is variable in size and intensity but is always present. A paler area may be visible between the median area and the eyes, being most con- spicuous above the eyes, but the area is neither sharply defined nor constant in presence. The ears are large, rounded and always intensely black; they are sparsely haired with short black hairs. In all specimens both the front and hind legs are very dark, contrasting with the colour of the body; only the hairs of the first two types are present here, but here they are black with just the basal part cream coloured. The ventral surface of the body lacks the third type of hairs and thereby the fur is softer than that of the back. The colour usually is predominantly cream suffused with grey. The grey colour is caused by the second type of hairs which have the distal part black; sometimes also the hairs of the underfur show black tips. The paler colour of the underside extends onto the head and even on the inner part of the legs. The extent and intensity of the dark colour of the fur of the animal both dorsally and ventrally is subject to a great variation. The tail is slightly shorter or somewhat longer than head and body combined. For the larger part of its length d is scaly with very few soft short hairs, only the basal 1/5 to 1/8 shows the same fur as the rest of the body. The tail has a characteristic colour: the distal part being whitish, sharply separated from the blackish basal part. The ratio of the length °f the black and white parts varies considerably: the white part is as long as to utmost twice as long as the black part. Dental formula: Ig, CJ, P§, Mf. The first premolar is small, but distinct and 'ather well developed; it is placed immediately behind the canine and separated from the much larger second premolar by a wide diastema. The second and third premolars are of about the same size. The skull of this species is characterized by (1) the narrow postorbital constriction which is less than half as wide as the interoibital constriction and is situated far behind the postorbital processes, (2) the shape of MARSUPIALIA 34 the latter, which are blunt, wide and rather inconspicuous, (3) the braincase, which is very small, (4) the well developed and high sagittal and lambdoidal crests. There is a considerable difference in the size of the adult animals in which all four upper molars are functional. Some cases are given here. An adult female, caught on 23 January 1963, in a garden at Paramaribo, had four naked pouch young of which the length of head and body was about 50 mm and that of the tail about 25 mm; the external measurements of the female are: head and body, 410; tail, 425; hind foot, with claw, 62; ear, 50 mm; weight, 1600 grams.-—Skull: condylobasal length, 95.9; zygomatic breadth, 51.5; combined length of the three anterior upper molars, 15.7 mm. An adult female, caught 0111 February 1963, near Uitkijk, has as external measure- ments: head and body, 485; tail, 460; hind foot, with claw, 60; ear, 61 mm; weight, 2250 grams. — Skull: condylobasal length, 107.0; zygomatic breadth, 57.6; com- bined length of the three anterior upper molars, 16.7 mm. An adult male, road victim on 11 February 1963, at Paramaribo, has as external measurements: head and body, 455; tail, 505; hind foot, with claw, 74; ear, 56 mm; weight, 3000 grams. — Skull: condylobasal length, 108.3; zygomatic breadth, 66.6; combined length of the three anterior upper molars, 15.8 mm. Skull measurements of an unsexed animal from the Cultuurtuin at Paramaribo: condylobasal length, 115.5; zygomatic breadth, 69.7; combined length of the three anterior upper molars, 16.4 mm. In 22 specimens this combined molar length varies from 15.2 to 17.3 mm (mean: 16.3 mm). Remarks. — In the Game Ordinance 1954, as revised in 1970, the Common Opossum is placed on the list of predominantly harmful animals under the names "Awari of grote buidelrat ( Didelphis marsupialis The animal is still so common near human habitations that it can cause much damage to fruit trees and poultry. Although Geijskes (1954) did not mention the Common Opossum as being used for food by the Bush-negroes and Amerindians, the Penard brothers ("De Suri- namer", 6 January 1906) remarked that the meat is eaten by some of the poorer people in Suriname. It is known that in some parts of South America the species is considered a delicacy; the meat is said to have a taste similar to that of Pingos and Pakiras. The species carries 4, 5, or 6 young. Stedman (1796 (2): 326), who observed a female with young on 1 January 1777, mentioned that the number of young was 5 or 6. Walsh & Gannon (1967: 166) reported on 4 pouch young in this species. In my own material four of the females carried young in the pouch: two had 4 and two had 5 young. Three of these females were caught in February 1963, and one in January 1963. The remark by the brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 11 January 1906) that the female gives birth to between 12 and 16 young needs confirmation. The few data provided by my own material and the information given by Stedman seems to indicate that the young mainly occur in the winter months (January, February), but Sanderson (1949: 786) remarked that "the pouches of almost every MARSUPIALIA 35 female taken throughout the year were crammed with young, even those of less than half grown individuals". The food of the Common Opossum consists of birds, small mammals, insects, crabs and fruit, and the species can cause great damage to poultry. Stedman (1796 (2): 326) already regarded the species as a "dreadful destroyer of poultry", while Kappler (1886: 166) gave the following account: "Kann sie in einen Huhner- stall kommen, so richtet sie eine grosse Verheerung an, hauptsachlich um das Blut zu saufen, denn von dem Fleische frisst sie wenig. Ein einziges Awari bringt oft ein Dutzend Huhner um". The brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 6 and 11 January 1906) confirm this and furthermore state that plants also form part of the diet of the species, which can do considerable harm to orchards; the animals thereby avoid fruit with a leathery skin, like oranges. The Penards furthermore mention that crabs aie eaten by the opossum (see also Holthuis, 1959: 45, 46). Most authors have very little good to say about the Suriname opossum. Kappler (1886: 166) called them "ekelhafte, unheimliche Tiere", and most other evaluations are in the same vein. The kindest description is that by Sanderson (1939: 206): The beast is rapacious and sometimes — amazing as it is for an animal — actually dirty and smelly. Nevertheless it is a beautiful animal in a vicious, angry sort of way". The irregular black and dirty white colour of the coat gives the opossum a kind of scabby outlook. Furthermore it has a highly unpleasant smell ("its smell "was very offensive", Stedman, 1796 (2): 326; "de Awarie heeft een hoogst onaange- namen reuk die zelfs spreekwoordelijk is, vooral geldt dit voor wijfjes met jongen", the brothers Penard, "De Surinamer", 11 January 1906; "this possum smell was something else: awful — a combination of tear gas and liquid nausea", Walsh & Gannon, 1967: 166). Dr. Geijskes (pers. comm.) mentioned that this smell is produced in. defense when the animal feels itself threatened. The presence or former presence °f an opossum in the house can readily be detected by this loathsome musk-like odour. The species can be very aggressive, not only to poultry, but also to man as vividly described by Walsh & Gannon (1967: 166), who gave an account of an opossum, ■which after freeing itself (by biting) from the grip of its captor, attacked instead °f fleeing. Sanderson (1949: 786) stated that they "are constantly molesting cats, which appear to stand in great fear of them". fhe feigning of death, the "playing possum", so well known of the North American Opossum, Didelphis virginiana Kerr, 1792, also has been reported for the present s pecies (the brothers Penard, "De Surinamer", 11 January 1906). The species is very tough and difficult to kill: Ivappler (1886: 66) remarked that wehrt sich noch, wenn sclion Hirn und Eingeweide herausgenommen sind", while the Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", n January 1906) remarked that 'it easily survives a heavy caning that would kill a dog'. Dr. Geijskes (pers. comm.) that in his garden in Paramaribo his dog, a fox-terrier, often caught these opossums in the evening. The dog bit the opossum badly and shook it so fiercely 36 MARSUPIALIA that one could hear the bones crack. After that the severely mauled opossum was left for dead on the ground, but usually it recovered and had disappeared by the next morning. The Common Opossum makes a kind of nest consisting of dry leaves, pieces of cloth, etc., in hollow trees or other hiding places. Here it passes most of the day, coming out at nightfall. It is mainly nocturnal, and many of these opossums are killed at night on the highways of Suriname by the traffic: three of the above listed specimens (nos. 17775, 22114, 22115) are road victims found along the highway in the early morning. It is a good climber and uses its tail as a prehensile organ. The variation in the coat colour and the size of this species is the cause that the Suriname population recognizes several kinds of "Awari", like the "Foto Awari" (= town opossum), "Boesi Awari" (= forest opossum), "Mangro Awari" (= mangrove opossum), and "Heigron Awari" (= highland opossum). As shown by the brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 6 January 1906) and Sanderson (1949) all those kinds belong to the present species, although the "Foto Awari" are larger and vary less than the others (Sanderson, 1949: 786). In several handbooks on North American mammals (Miller & Kellogg, 1955: 1-4; Hall & Kelson, 1959: 5-8) the North American Opossum, Didelphis virginiana Kerr, is considered a subspecies of D. marsupialis. A recent study by Gardner (1973) again treated the two forms as distinct species. Chironectes minimus minimus (Zimmermann, 1780) PI. 7 (animal), pi. 12 (skull) Latra [error pro Lutra] minima Zimmermann, 1780, Geographische Geschichte des Menschen, und der vierfiissigen Thiere, 2: 317. Type locality. — "Gujana". To be restricted to Cayenne (Guyane), because Zimmermann based his description on Buffon's (1776, Hist. Nat. (ed. i), Suppl. 3: 159, pi. 22) "petite loutre d'eau douce de Cayenne". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 43-44; Krumbiegel, 1940b; Thomas, 1888: 368- 370. 34* • Vernacular names. — (E) Yapok, Water Opossum; (N) Water Opossum, Zwem- mende Buidelrat; (S) Watra-stonawari, Watra-alata. Distribution. — The species Chironectes minimus (Zimmermann, 1780) occurs from Honduras eastward through Panama to South America, where it is known from Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, the Guianas, Brazil, Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina. The nominate subspecies C. minimus minimus has been reported from the Orinoco through the Guianas to southern Brazil, Paraguay and north-eastern Argentina. Occurrence in Suriname. — No exact localities within Suriname are known to me for this species. According to the brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 14 January 1906) the Yapok occurs 'langs waterkanten en op begroeide zwampachtige plaatsen" MARSUPIALIA 37 (along the water and in swampy areas with vegetation). Tate (1939: 160) remarked that the animal "is present in the coastal strip and probably ... all through the Guiana lowlands". I have examined a single Suriname specimen only, viz., a juvenile female (skin and complete skeleton) of which a more exact locality is unknown. This specimen is held by the Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie at Leiden (no. 24289) and in i860 was obtained by the museum from the Zeeuwsch Genoot- schap van Wetenschappen (= Zeeland Society of Sciences); this same specimen was listed by Jentink (1887: 302, specimen no. a; 1888: 222, specimen no. c). The museum possesses two more skins of this species, one semi-adult male without a locality indication (obtained in 1875 from the dealer G. A. Frank) and one sent from Caracas, Venezuela (coll. R. F. Van Lansberge, 1859; for the locality, see Boeseman, 1972: 314), of neither the skull is present. Furthermore there is a single skull, without locality indication, obtained in 1888 from Frank. Description. — This striking species cannot easily be confused with any other Suriname mammal. Its peculiar colour pattern and webbed hind feet make it unique among all other marsupials. The following description is based on the speci- mens in the Leiden Museum, which are very similar in their colour pattern, although m the specimens from Suriname and from "Caracas" the colour evidently is somewhat bleached. The fur is very soft and woolly. The colour of the unbleached specimen is dorsally of a pale grey with a faint brownish tinge, overlaid by a most conspicuous dark warm brown colour pattern. In the bleached skins the general colour is more yellowish brown and less grey. The dark pattern consists of a narrow median line (8 mm or less wide) which extends over the full length of the back, from the head to the beginning of the naked part of the tail. Perpendicular to this narrow median line there are 4 broad transverse bands, about 10 to 50 mm wide. The anteriormost of these bands extends over the shoulders and reaches down along the full length of the outer surface of the front legs. The second band is slightly wider (in an anterior- posterior direction), but reaches much less far sideways, ending at about halfway down the sides, in a broad rounded top. The third band runs over the rump and ends in a rather sharp point just before the basis of the hind legs. The fourth band J s the narrowest and is placed just before the basis of the tail, it extends sideways over the posterior part of the outer surface of the hind legs. The dorsal surface of the head is of the same dark colour as the transverse bands of the body. Above each e ye there is a distinct pale greyish spot which is connected to a similar spot before the hase of the ear. The four spots sometimes form a transverse pale band which is inconspicuously interrupted in the middle. Around the mouth and on the lower Part of the cheeks the colour of the fur is whitish or pale grey. The ears are distinct, hut in all three specimens the margins are heavily damaged. The ventral surface of the body from the tip of the chin to the base of the tail, including the inside of the le S s is of a white or whitish colour. The front legs have the toes dark; between them, nnd especially between the second and third and between the third and fourth toes, there are very small webs. In the hind feet the webs are very distinct and reach 38 MARSUPIALIA to or slightly beyond the base of the nails, they are conspicuous between all the toes (first to fifth). The tail is always longer than head and body combined; it is scaly with appressed hairs over the greater part of its length, being practically naked to the naked eye. The fur of the body extends only over the basal 1/5 of the tail or less; this fur is greyish, both dorsally and ventrally, with a dark dorsal line. The naked part of the tail is rather uniform in colour dorsally and ventrally; in the unbleached specimen the distal fifth is distinctly paler than the rest, but this peculiar- ity is not clearly noticeable in the other specimens. Dental formula: If, Cf, Pf, Mf. The first upper premolar is slightly smaller than the second, it is placed against the canine, and is separated from the second upper premolar by a distinct but narrow diastema. The third premolar is of the same size as the second, or slightly larger. The processus postorbitalis is small, but distinct, triangular with a blunt tip. The postorbital constriction is narrower than the inter- orbital constriction. The sagittal crest is distinct and sharp but not very high, it forks anteriorly ending in the postorbital processes. The braincase is relatively broad. Thomas (1888: 369) noted the following external measurements for an adult female from Brazil: head and body, 325: tail, 395; hind foot, 72 mm. The following skull measurements of an adult male are taken from Thomas (1888: 341): basal length, 67; zygomatic breadth, 42.3; rrd-m 3 , 14 mm. The skull measure- ments of the adult male from unknown locality (no. 181331) are: palatal length, 44.3; interorbital constriction, 13.6; postorbital constriction, 9.1; breadth of braincase, 24.2; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 4 , 32.5, nd-m 3 , 13.4 mm. Remarks. — The fact that only one Suriname specimen of the present species (and that without a precise locality indication) is found in collections, and that there is hardly any information in the literature on the occurrence of the species in that country, indicates that Chironectes minimus must be considered very rare in Suriname. People interested in mammals who lived for many years in Suriname informed me that they had never seen the animal. On the other hand, the species has a vernacular name in various of the Suriname languages, which indicates that it is known to the local population and distinguished from the other mammals. It is possible therefore that, rather than rare, the species is very elusive or lives in an inaccessible habitat, or in a habitat that is neglected by collectors. The animal is nocturnal and aquatic. The Penard brothers ("De Surinamer", 14 January 1906) remark that they dive well and can walk under water; their food is said to consist of small fish, insects, crabs, etc. They also remarked that 'for a considerable period the mother carries its young in her well developed pouch, later the young climb on the back of the mother and with their tails hold on to hers'. The biology of the species was elaborately dealt with by Mondolfi & Medina Padilla (1957) and Walker (1964). Krumbiegel (1940b) gave a revision of the genus Chironectes, while Augustiny (1943) dealt with the morphology of the Water Opossum, especially in connection with its adaptation for swimming. MARSUPIALIA 39 Lutreolina crassicaudata turneri (Günther, 1879) Didelphis Turneri Giinther, 1879, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (5) 4: 108. Type locality. — "Demerara"; Thomas (1888: 336) noted that the type came from "Better Hope, Demerara" (Guyana). Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 40-41; Thomas, 1888: 334-336, 341. Vernacular names. — (E) Thick-tailed Opossum; (N) Dikstaart Opossum. Occurrence in Suriname. — With some reserve I mention the Thick-tailed Opos- sum here, because I have not been able to trace any specimen from Suriname. The brothers Penard, however, gave (in Dutch) the following information on the species in "De Surinamer" of 11 January 1906, the free translation of which reads as follows: 'The following two species have no white spots above the eyes. The first species, the Thick-tailed Opossum, D. crassicaudata, is somewhat smaller with a tail that is conspicuously thicker, being furred over far more than half its length. The ears are relatively smaller than those of the other Opossums and the head and legs are short. The fur consists of straight, thick, soft hairs of a yellow-brown colour; the eyes and the muzzle are brownish, while the tail has a black colour with a white tip. The pouch is practically lacking; there are only teats. This Opossum, which in the Suri- name language and in that of Amerindians has the same name as the two foregoing species [Didelphis opossum and D. nudicaudata] is not frequent, but it still is far less rare than the second species, the Woolly Opossum D. philander’. There cannot be the least doubt that the brothers Penard really dealt with Lutreo- lina, while their vivid description suggests that they did see the animal. However, their statement that “D. philander” is rarer than the Thick-tailed Opossum is not in accordance with our knowledge, since the former species is quite well represented m museum collections, while of the latter no specimens from Suriname are known. Remarks.— Lutreolina seems to be rare in Guyana; in this connection Tate (*939 : 162) noted: "The Guiana race must be excessively rare, since but one speci- men seems to have been captured since Turner obtained the type in 1879". Cabrera ( i 958: 41) remarked: "Es muy posible que esta subespecie se encuentre en las otras Guayanas y en el nordeste del Brasil; en todo caso, se trata de un animal sumamente raro , 0 acaso extinguido ya, siendo el holotipo el unico ejemplar conocido hasta el momento de redactar estas lineas'. A revision of the genus Lutreolina was given by Krumbiegel (1941b: 190-194, %• 1), while Walker (1964 (1): 23) gave a short account of its biology. Order Insectivora FAMILY SORICIDAE “Blarina pyrrhonota Jentink, 1910” Blarina pyrrhonota Jentink, 1910, Notes Leyden Museum, 32: 167-168. Type locality. — "Surinam". Remarks. — Jentink (1888: 131) mentioned in his "Catalogue systdmatique" a new species of shrew from Suriname, which he named Blarina pyrrhonota without giving, however, a description of the "Individu adulte mont6, type de l'espece". The description of his new species was given by Jentink in 1910. After examination of the holotype (no. 17214) Husson (1963: 35-37, pi. 1) came to the conclusion that Jentink's new species was incorrectly labelled as to the locality, for it strongly resembles Sorex araneus Linnaeus, 1758, from Europe. Considering the distribu- tion of insectivores in South America (see Cabrera, 1958: 46-48), it is unlikely that a shrew ac- tually would occur in Suriname. Order Chiroptera The order Chiroptera is one of the best characterized mammalian orders. All its species have a well developed membrane which extends between the hind and front legs and between the very elongate fingers. With these wings the animals can perform active flight and they are the only mammals capable to do so. Other "flying" mammals like flying squirrels are only capable of a more passive gliding movement. In the New World the order is represented only by the suborder Microchiroptera, the name of which is rather misleading as some of the species are very large, Vampy- rum spectrum can attain a forearm length of about no mm. In a previous publication (Husson, 1962) the bats of Suriname are very extensively treated, for more detailed information I may refer to that paper. The number of species of bats known from Suriname (63) is more than 40% of the total number of mammal species so far known from the country. In view of this large number of species it was though advisable not to give here a single key to all species, but instead have separate keys for families, subfamilies (if necessary) and species. The external and skull measurements of Chiroptera used in the present paper are shown in figs. 1, 5, 6 and 7, in which also most of the terms are explained. All measurements given are in mm, unless indicated otherwise. The 8 families of Chiroptera known from Suriname can be distinguished with the help of the following key. Key to the Suriname families of Microchiroptera J a. Tail thick and long, extending for about half its length beyond the posterior border of the well developed interfemoral membrane (fig. 8a) Molossidae, p. 186 b. Tail, if present, extending not at all beyond the posterior border of the inter- femoral membrane or with less than one-third of its length 2 2a. Muzzle with prominent nose leaf, the vertical, free portion lancet-shaped (fig. 21) Phyllostomidae (except Chilonycterinae), p. 77 b. Muzzle without prominent true nose leaf, appendices of nose never lancet- shaped (fig. 10) 3 3a. Tail partly enclosed in the interfemoral membrane; the free part of the tail emerging proximally from the centre of the dorsal surface of the membrane (fig- 8f) 4 b. Tail, if present, entirely enclosed in the interfemoral membrane (fig. 8d) or leaving the membrane at its posterior margin (fig. 27g) 6 4a. Third digit with two phalanges only 5 CHIROPTERA 42 Fig. 5. Ventral view of a bat. — 1, thumb; 2, 3, 4, 5, second, third, fourth and fifth finger respectively; a, metacarpal; at, antitragus; b, first phalanx; c, second phalanx; ca, calcaneum or calcar; d, dactylopatagium; e, ear; fe, femur; fo, forearm; h, humerus; hf, hind- foot; m, free margin of uropatagium; me, mesopatagium; p, propatagium (= antebrachial membrane); t, tail; ti, tibia; tr, tragus; u, uropatagium (= interfemoral membrane). CHIROPTERA 43 Fig. 6. Skull of a bat pictured in ventral, dorsal and lateral view to show the measurements an d terms used in this paper. a, width across the cingula of the canines; b, width across the molars; br, width of braincase; cl, length from condyle to front of canine; c-m ³, length of upper tooth-row; h, height of braincase; ib, width of interorbital constriction; jb, zygomatic breadth; pl, length of palate; tl, greatest length of skull; C, canine; I, incisor; M, molar; P, premolar. CHIROPTERA 44 b. Third digit with three phalanges; chin with flat dermal plates provided with numerous, small rounded papillae (fig. i6e) Phyllostomidae (subfamily Chilonycterinae), p. 78 5a. Upper lip deeply grooved, resembling that of a hare; muzzle truncated (fig. i5g) wings attached to the back of the body Noctilionidae, p. 71 b. Upper lip not deeply grooved (fig. 10 k, 1); wings attached to the sides of the body Emballonuridae, p. 45 6a. Third digit with two phalanges only; thumb greatly reduced, included in the wing membrane, and placed at the base of the minute claw (fig. iog); tail ending in the distal part of the interfemoral membrane (fig. 8d) Furipteridae, p. 164 b. Third digit with three phalanges; thumb not greatly reduced; tail absent (fig. 32b) or extending to or slightly beyond the posterior border of the wide interfemoral membrane (fig. 8b) 7 7a. A prominent circular sucking disk is present at the base of the thumb. A similar disk at the base of the sole of the hind foot (fig. ioq, r) Thyropteridae, p. 166 b. No circular sucking disk at either hand or foot 8 8a. No external tail; interfemoral membrane narrow and short, if stretched ex- tending from about the middle of one tibia to the other (fig. 8g) Desmodidae, p. 158 b. Tail present, reaching to or slightly beyond the posterior border of the wide interfemoral membrane; the membrane if stretched extending beyond the hind feet (fig. 8b) Vespertilionidae, p. 169 Fig. 7. Skull of a bat, mandible. c-m 3 , length of lower tooth-row; lo, length of mandible; C, canine; I, incisor; M, molar; P, premolar. 45 CHIROPTERA FAMILY EMBALLONURIDAE The main external characters of the Suriname Emballonuridae are as follows: (i) the third digit has two phalanges only, of which the second is much longer than the first; (2) the slender tail is of about half the length of the wide interfemoral membrane, perforating this membrane at about its centre and appearing on its dorsal surface; (3) the calcar is relatively long, having more than half the length of the tibia, and (4) in most species a so-called wing sac is present in the antebrachial membrane, the position and the shape of this wing sac, well developed in males, rudimentary or absent in females, are characters to distinguish closely related genera (see Sanborn, 1937: 323 fig. 37). All genera have the same dental formula: 1|, C J, P §, M §. The upper incisors are separated by a wide space from each other; this space is caused by the fact that the premaxillaries are not fused with either each other orwiththemaxillaries; the anterior border of the palate is emarginate. The first upper premolar is minute, in some genera it is reduced to a structureless spicule. Of the family Emballonuridae two subfamilies occur in Suriname: the Emballonu- rinae and the Diclidurinae. The single species of the Diclidurinae known from Suriname can immediately be distinguished from all other Suriname bats by the white colour of its fur and membranes. The Emballonurinae represented in Suriname show remarkable differences in the size, the colour, and the position of the wing sac, which even may be absent. Subfamily EMBALLONURINAE In the present subfamily the skull has long and curved post-orbital processes (which often are broken off during cleaning). Eight species of the Emballonurinae are known with certainty from Suriname. Though not yet actually reported from Suriname, the species Peropteryx macrotis macrotis (Wagner) possibly also occurs there as it is widely distributed on the mainland of South and Central America from Brazil and Peru northward to Yucatan and Guatemala. For this reason the species is included in the following key. A revision of the subfamily was given by Sanborn (1937); the range of variation °f the external and skull measurements mentioned in the present paper are mainly based on Sanborn's publication. Key to the Suriname Emballonurinae J a. Calcar much longer than the tibia, about half the length of the forearm; wing sac absent; small tufts of whitish hairs are present behind and along the dorsal surface of the forearm; dorsal surface of the body shows a light grizzled appear- ance, the ventral surface is whitish or greyish. Length of forearm varying from 35-5 to about 41 mm; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 4.3 to 4.7 mm Rhynchonycteris naso, p. 48 46 CHIROPTERA (E. Geoffroy); h, Sturnirinae: (E. Geoffroy). Sturnira lilium lilium (L.); f, Chilonycterinae: Desmodus rotundus rotundus Wagner; g, Desmodidae: Chilonycteris rubiginosa rubiginosa Noctilio leporinus leporinus (F. Cuvier); e, Noctilionidae: Furipterus horrens (Peters); c, Emballonuridae: Peters; d, Furipteridae: Lasiurus borealis frantzii Peropteryx kappleri kappleri Eumops geijskesi Husson; b, Vespertilionidae: Fig. 8. Diagrams of interfemoral membranes, ventral view, showing the various forms to be observed in Suriname bats. a, Molossidae: CHIROPTERA 47 4 b. Calcar equals the length of the tibia or is shorter than the tibia; no tufts of whitish hairs along the dorsal surface of the forearm; wing sac usually present 2 2a. Wing membrane from the base of the outer toe or from the side of the foot above the base of the outer toe (fig. 9e) 3 b. Wing membrane from the distal part of the tibia or from the ankles (fig. 9f) . 4 3a. Metacarpal of the third digit equals the length of the forearm; wings from the base of the outer toes; no wing sac known. Length of forearm varying from 42.6 to 44.5 mm; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , about 5.8 mm Centronycteris maximiliani maximiliani, p. 67 b. Metacarpal of the third digit considerably shorter than the forearm; wings from the side of the foot; wing sac long, often extending from near the anterior border of the antebrachial membrane to near the elbow. Length of forearm varying from 43.3 to 49.8 mm; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 6.1 to 6.8 mm Cormura brevirostris, p. 62 4a. Ears connected by a low band across the forehead; wing membrane, at least between the body and a line drawn from the elbow to the knee, white; wing sac small, about in the middle of the anterior border of the antebrachial mem- brane. Length of forearm varying from 41 to 47 mm; length of tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 6 to 6.6 mm . . . Peronymus leucopterus leucopterus, p. 66 b. Ears not connected by a low band across the forehead; wing membrane through- out of the same dark colour 5 5a. Dorsal surface of body with two more or less distinct longitudinal wavy lines of a whitish or buffy colour from back to rump; wing sac close to the forearm near the elbow 6 b. Dorsal lines absent; wing sac small, near the anterior border of the antebrachial membrane 8 6a. Dorsal surface of body black, in specimens with worn pelage more brownish; wing membranes black; wing sac, at least in males, remarkably large. Length of forearm varying from more than 44 mm to 51.7 mm; length of upper tooth- row, c-m 3 , varying from 6.7 to 7.4 mm (usually more than 7 mm) Saccopteryx bilineata, P- 54 b. Dorsal surface of body uniformly brown or greyish brown; wing sac not re- markably developed. Length of forearm less than 44 mm; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 4.6 to 5.5 mm 7 7a. Dorsal surface of body uniformly brown, ventral surface a little lighter; longitu- dinal lines usually distinct. Length of forearm varying from 37.4 to 42.3 mm; length of tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 5.1 to 5.5 mm, width across molars from 5.Q to 6.3 mm Saccopteryx leptura, p. 61 b. Dorsal surface of body greyish or brownish with a grizzled appearance; ventral surface much lighter, grey or buffy; longitudinal lines usually indistinct and irregular. Length of forearm varying from 35.8 to 40.8 mm; length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , varying from 4.6 to 5.1 mm, width across molars from 5.1 to 5.6 mm Saccopteryx canescens, p. 59 48 CHIROPTERA 8a. Length of forearm varying from 45 to 53.6 mm; greatest length of skull varying from 16 to 17.8 mm, length of the upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , from 6.7 to 7.8 mm, width across molars from 7 to 8.3 mm Peropteryx kappleri kappleri, p. 65 b. Length of forearm varying from 38.3 to 48.2 mm; greatest length of skull varying from 12 to 15 mm (mean 14. 1 mm), length of upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , from 4.6 to 6.2 mm, width across molars from 5.5 to 6.8 mm Peropteryx macrotis macrotis (Wagner) Rhynchonycteris naso (Wied, 1820) Text-figs, ga (interfemoral membrane), rol (head), n (roosting), 13a (canines and incisors), pi. 14 (skull) Vespertilio Naso Wied, 1820, Reise nach Brasilien, 1: 251, footnote. Type locality. — "Die Ufer des Mucuri", Minas Geraes, Brazil. Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 325; Cabrera, 1958: 49; Husson, 1962: 29. Vernacular names. — (E) Brazilian Long-nosed Bat; (N) Riviervleermuis. Distribution. — The species has a wide range of distribution extending from southern Mexico through Central America to South America, where it occurs from Venezuela, Trinidad and the Guianas southward to northern Peru and Central Brazil (see Sanborn, 1937: 326, map in fig. 38; Hall & Kelson, 1959, map 43). Occurrence in Suriname. — Rhynchonycteris naso is one of the most common species of bats along the Suriname creeks and rivers. The first Suriname record is that by Temminck (1841: 297), who described the species as new under the name Emballonura lineata from Suriname material. I have examined specimens from the following Suriname localities: I. Frederik Willem IV Falls in Corantijn River at about 3°3o'N, Nickerie District, i juvenile male (no. 17617, skin and skull). 2. Sipaliwini River near Sipaliwini airstrip, extreme south-eastern part of Nickerie District, 1 male (no. 17277, skin and skull), 13 specimens (no. 18248, skins and skulls). 3. Cupido, Amerindian village on Maratakka River, about 12 km south of Wageningen, 3 females (nos. 25484, 25485, skins and skulls). 4. Upper Maratakka River near its source, at about 120 km above its mouth near Wageningen, 3 males, 8 females (nos. 25486, 25487, skins and skulls). 5. Stondansi Falls in upper Nickerie River at about 5°5'N, 2 males, 2 females (nos. 22245, 25492, skins and skulls). 6. Lombok Falls in upper Nickerie River, 2 males, 4 females (nos. 25490, 25491, skins and skulls). 7. Upper Nickerie River between Graniet Falls and Paris Jacob Creek, at about 4°52'N 56°59'W, Nickerie District, 1 male (no. 25489, skin and skull). 8. Near confluence of Arawarra Creek and Wayombo River, at about 5°2o'N 56°24'W, Saramacca District, 3 males (no. 25488, skins and skulls). 9. Coppename River, Saramacca District, 1 female (no. 25256, skin and skull). 10. Combd, northern part of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 4 males (nos. 3919, 3920, 3922, 3923, skins and skulls), 3 females (nos. 3917, 3918, 3921, skins and skulls). 11. Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 male (no. 17546, skin and skull), 3 females (nos. 17547, 17548; ZMH no. 38831, skins and skulls). 12. Saramacca Creek near Zanderij, about 40 km south of Paramaribo, Para District, 2 males, 1 female (no. 8678, skins and skulls). CHIROPTERA 49 (Fischer); h, Desmarest. Noctilio labialis albiventris Centronycteris maximiliani maximiliani (Wagner); f, Peronymus leucopterus leucopterus Cormura brevirostris (Peters); g, (Schreber); e, Thomas; d, Saccopteryx canescens (Temminck); c, Saccopteryx leptura Saccopteryx bilineata Rhynchonycteris naso (Wied); b, Fig. 9. Diagrams of interfemoral membranes, ventral view, showing the various forms to be observed in Emballonurinae (a-g) and Noctilionidae (h). a, CHIROPTERA 50 13. Mambabasoe, upper Saramacca River, at about 4°I5'N, Brokopondo District, 2 males (nos. 17443,17445, skins and skulls), 9 females (nos. 17440-17442,17444,17446-17450, skins and skulls). 14. Finisanti on Saramacca River, Brokopondo District, 1 female (no. 25365, skin and skull). 15. Mar6chal Creek, west bank of Suriname River between Phedra and Berg en Dal, 5 speci- mens (no. 10448, skins and skulls). 16. Brokopondo on Suriname River, north of Brokopondo Lake, 15 specimens (nos. 18254, 25196-25208; ZMA no. 9206, skins and skulls). 17. On dead trees in Brokopondo Lake, about 3 km south of the dam, 2 specimens (nos. 2 5i93. 25194, skins and skulls). 18. Bedoti on Suriname River, a locality now covered by the Brokopondo Lake, 7 specimens (nos. 25209-25215, skins and skulls). 19. Gran Creek, branch of Suriname River, a locality now covered by Brokopondo Lake, 2 specimens (nos. 25191, 25192, skins and skulls). 20. Sara Creek, about 18 and 31 km south of Brokopondo dam, 1 male (ZMA no. 9555, skin and skull), 6 females (ZMA nos. 9645-9647, 9552-9554, skins and skulls). 21. Suriname River south of Gansee, between Aurora and Botopasi, 1 male, 1 female (ZMA no. 1652, skins and skulls). 22. Upper Gran Rio, southern part of Suriname River Basin, southern Brokopondo District, 1 male (no. 17555), 2 females (nos. 17556, 17557), 1 specimen (no. 17558) (all as skins and skulls). 23. Anton van Aerde cave, Tafelberg Mountain, south-western Brokopondo District, 1 specimen (no. 16418, skin and skull). 24. Matapica Canal, north of plantation "Alliance", Commewijne District, 2 specimens (no. 25258, skins and skulls). 25. Wane Creek near the mouth of the Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 5 females (nos. 17538-17540, skins and skulls; nos. 17537, 17554, skulls). 26. North of Moengotapoe, at about 5°35'N 54°I6'W, 1 female (no. 17554, skin and skull). 27. Tapanahony River, western tributary of Marowijne River, 5 males (nos. 17420, 17425- 17428, skins and skulls), 11 females (nos. 17421-17424, 17429-17435, skins and skulls). 28. Paloemeu River, tributary of upper Tapanahony River, 10 specimens (nos. 18252, 25272, skins and skulls). 29. Gonini River, western tributary of Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 1 male (no. 1 74-39, skin and skull). 30. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 lectotype of Emballonura lineata Temminck (no. 17642, skin and skull), 14 males, 19 females (SMN nos. 264b-37oa-f, ZMB nos. A4203, A1837, 3225, ZMH no. 38983a-c; skins and skulls). Description. — The most striking external characters by which Rhynchonycteris naso differs from the other Suriname Emballonuridae are: (a) the presence of small tufts of whitish hairs behind and along the dorsal surface of the forearm, and (b) the length of the calcar, which is greater than that of the tibia and nearly equal to half the length of the forearm. Length of the forearm varying in males from 35.3 tot 40.5 mm, in females from 35.8 to 40.7 mm; the females are on an average larger than the males; ears narrow and subacutely pointed, about 12 mm long; muzzle rather long and narrow, the upper lip produced far beyond the lower lip; wing sac absent; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched extending slightly beyond the toes; calcar (about 18 mm) much longer than the tibia (about 14 mm), nearly equal to half the length of the forearm, and about three times as long as the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; tail not reaching to the middle of the inter- femoral membrane, perforating this membrane and appearing on the dorsal surface, the free end being up to 5 mm long; wing membranes from the ankles or from the proximal part of the metatarsus. The fur is soft and dense; dorsally it extends on CHIROPTERA 51 Spix, SMN no. 1301-4; q, thumb of same specimen; r, hind foot of same specimen. Thyroptera tricolor tricolor Diclidurus scutatus (Wied), no. 17277; m, Peters, 110. 17361; n, thumb of same specimen; o, interfemoral membrane of same specimen, ventral view; p, Rhynchonycteris naso Saccopteryx bilineata (Gervais), no. 17370; k, Dasyptems ega ega (Temminck), no. 17387; l, Eptesicus melanopterus (Jentink), SMN no. 2 64a; j, Furipterus horrens (Peters), no. 17282; f, (F. Cuvier), SMN no. 684; g, thumb of same specimen; h, tragus of same specimen; i, (E. Geoffroy), SMN no. 264-861-1/2; d, tragus of same specimen; e, Lasiurus borealis frantzii Myotis albescens Myotis nigricans nigricans (Schinz), ZMA no. 4468; b, tragus of same specimen; c, Fig. 10. a, 52 CHIROPTERA the wing membranes as far as a line drawn from the proximal third of the upper arm to the knee, the area between this line and that drawn from about the middle of the forearm to the ankles shows short whitish hairs more or less arranged in small tufts ; similar tufts, varying in size, are found along the forearm; the dorsal surface of the interfemoral membrane as well as the hind extremities are covered with rather long whitish or light greyish hairs, this pubescence extends to about the level of the ankles, the remaining part of the membrane is loosely and thinly haired. On the ventral surface the antebrachial membrane is naked, the dots of whitish hairs along the forearm are absent, but the wing membrane is clothed with soft whitish hairs as far as a line drawn from the elbow to the proximal third of the thigh; the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane is rather regularly and thinly covered with very short whitish hairs. The hairs of the dorsal surface of the body are dark to blackish brown, the tips are whitish or greyish, giving the coat a grizzled appearance; in some specimens the lower back and the rump show two wavy lines of a whitish Fig. 11. Rhynchonycteris naso (Wied). Characteristic way of roosting on the trunk of a tree. After a coloured slide by P. Leentvaar. CHIROPTERA 53 tinge, in old specimens with worn pelage the light tips are worn off so that the coat colour is practically dark brown. The basal half of the hairs of the ventral surface is dark brown, the distal half whitish or light greyish so that the coat colour here is quite uniformly light greyish or whitish. The membranes are dark brown above and beneath. Dental formula: 1J, C P |, M §. Upper incisors minute, separated by distinct spaces from each other as well as from the canines; upper premolar small, placed nearer to the canine than to the large second premolar, varying from an almost simple tooth with barely indicated anterior and posterior cusps to a rather broad triangular tooth with prominent cusps; the shaft of the second premolar is slightly higher than the crown of the first molar. Lower incisors small, trifid, forming a continuous row between the canines; canine slender; first lower premolar with distinct anterior and posterior cusps, touching the canine, but separated by a small space from the second premolar, the latter is about as wide as the former but its shaft is about twice as long as that of the first premolar. The basisphenoid pits are deep, not divided by a longitudinal plate. The shape of the palate and the tooth- TABLE 4 External and skull measurements of ten specimens of Rhynchonycteris naso (Wied) from Suriname. RMNH reg. no. 17642 is the lectotype of Emballonura lineata Temminck. Museum ZMB RMNH RMNH RMNH ZMB ZMB RMNH RMNH ZMB RMNH Reg. number A4203,2 3920 3919 17556 A1837,4 3225,1 17557 3917 A4203,6 17642 Sex 6 6 6 6 6 9 9. 9 9 ? Forearm 37.1 37.6 38.2 37.8 39.0 38.2 37.8 39.5 38.5 39 Third digit, metacarpal 37 37.5 38.5 37 40 38 38 41 40 40 1st phalanx 11.5 .12 11.5 11 12 11.5 11.5 11.5 13 12 2nd phalanx 18 18 18 17 18 17 19 19 19 17 Fourth digit, metacarpal 31.5 30.5 32 31 31.5 32.5 32 34 33 34 1st phalanx 8.5 8 8 9 8.5 8.5 8.5 9 9 8.5 2nd phalanx 5.5 7 7 6.5 -6 6 6.5 7.5 6 - Fifth digit, metacarpal 29.5 29 30 30.5 31.0 30.5 30.5 31.5 31 31 1st phalanx 6.5 8.5 9 9 9.5 8.5 9 9.5 9.5 8.5 2nd phalanx 4.5 5 5 5 4.5 4 5 6' 5 4.5 Tibia 13.5 14 14 13.5 14 14 14 14 14 14 Hind foot 7 7 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6 Calcar 18 18 17 18 18 17 18 19 19 - Skull: greatest length from c 11.4 11.7 11.7 11.8 12.0 11.6 11.7 11.8 12.0 11.6 condylobasal length from c 10.3 10.3 10.1 10.6 10.6 10.2 10.3 10.6 10,4 10.3 basal length from c 9.4 9.3 9.2 9.6 9.5 9.2 9.4 9.5 9.5 9.5 zygomatic breadth 6.9 7.0 6.7 - 7.1 6.7 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.0 breadth of braincase 6.1 5.8 6.1 5.9 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.2 6.1 6.1 height of braincase 5.2 5.4 5.2 5.2 5.3 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.3 - mastoid breadth 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.3 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.5 interorbital constriction 2.8 3.1 - 3.2 2.8 3.1 3.3 3.3 3.1 - 3.0 postorbital constriction 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.4 2.3 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.4 2.5 width across molars 4.5 4.2 4.1 3.8 4.5 4.3 4.6 4.7 4.6 4.7 width across cingula canines 3.0 3.2 - 2.6 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.2 3.3 3.2 upper tooth row, c - m 4.3 4.2 4.4 4.4 4.4 4.2 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.4 lower tooth-row, c - m 3 4.4 4.3 4.5 4.5 4.4 4.2 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.4 length of mandible 8.1 8.1 7.7 8.1 - 7.5 8.0 7.7 8.0 7.7 54 CHIROPTERA rows is very striking, the whole is about quadrate as the tooth-rows are parallel while the width across the molars equals the length of the tooth-row. The external and skull measurements of ten specimens of the present species from Su- riname, including the lectotype of Emballonura lineata Temminck, are given in Table 4. Remarks. — The brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 2 April 1905) described the habitat and habits of this species as follows (in free translation): 'The River Bat lives by preference in dark places near the water; here the animals hang in rows on tree branches, and from a distance often closely resemble knots in the wood. When disturbed, they fly away to settle close by on another tree. Their food consists of insects, which they catch at night when flying low over the water'. Dr. Geijskes' (inlitt.) observations on this species confirm and elucidate those made bythe brothers Penard: 'In the daytime this small bat hangs against tree trunks and on bare dead branches, that reach vertically or obliquely out of the water. The way in which they roost is most characteristic for the species: in groups of 8 to 10 individuals they hang, head downward, in a vertical row, one straight below the other with inter- spaces of about 10 cm (fig. 11). When disturbed, they fly away to settle close by in a similar fashion. No other bat has been observed to show this pattern of roosting'. A review of previous records of this species from Suriname, and a discussion of these records was given by Husson (1962: 29-36), who also dealt with the nomencla- ture of the species and the genus. Saccopteryx bilineata (Temminck, 1838) Text-figs. 9b (interfemoral membrane), 10k (head), 12 (animal), 13b (canines and incisors), pi. 14 (skull) Urocryplus bilineatus Temminck, 1838, Tijdschr. Natuurkundige Geschiedenis Physiologie, 5: 33-34. pl- 2. Type locality. — "Suriname". Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 328; Cabrera, 1958: 49; Husson, 1962: 36. Vernacular names. -— (E) Greater White-lined Bat. Distribution. — The species, in which no subspecies are recognized, occurs in Trinidad and "from southern Mexico (Colima, Guerrero, and Vera Cruz) south to central Bolivia and Matto Grosso and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil" (Sanborn, 1937: 330, map in fig. 39). Occurrence in Suriname. — Sanderson (1939: 263) observed the species along the banks of rivers, namely the Coppename and Wayombo Rivers. The localities from where I have examined material also indicate that the species prefers the vicinity of water. So far it is only known from the coastal region and the foot-hill area of Suriname. I have examined the following material: i. Plantation "Kwatta", north-west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 10 specimens (nos, 17451-17460, skins and skulls). 2. Weg naar Zee, near the coast north of Paramaribo, 1 male (no. 24873, skull). 3. Agricultural Experimental Station (Cultuurtuin), Paramaribo, T male (no. 3929, skin and skull), 5 females (nos. 3925-3928, 2930, skins and skulls). CHIROPTERA 55 4- Swamps behind Agricultural Experimental Station, Paramaribo, 5 males (nos. 3932, 3934. 3943. 3946, 394 8 - skins and skulls), 13 females (3931. 3933. 3935"394 2 . 3944. 3945, 3947, skins and skulls). 5. Santo Boma, south-west of Paramaribo, 1 female (no. 24871, skin and skull). 6. Sumatra weg, just south of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 female (no. 24872, skin and skull). 7. Republiek, 35 km south of Paramaribo, Para District, 1 female (no. 7486, skin and skull). 8. Brokopondo on Suriname River north of Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, 1 male (ZMA no. 9218, skin and skull), 2 females (no. 18253, ZMA no. 9217, skins and skulls), 2 speci- mens (no. 25263, skins and skulls). 9. Jai Creek, north of Moengotapoe, Marowijne District, 4 females (nos. 17469-17472, skins and skulls). io. Seventh shell ridge counted from the sea shore, north of Moengotapoe, 2 females (nos. 17475, 17476, skins and skulls). 11. Bank of Marowijne River, 1 female (no. 17640, skull). 12. Nassau Mountains, west of Marowijne River at about 4°48'N, Marowijne District, 1 male (no. 17465, skin and skull), 3 females (nos. 17466-17468, skins and skulls). 13. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 male holotype (no. 17461, skin and skull), 10 males and 14 females (no. 17387, ZMB nos. 2974, 3215, 3519, A1841, A4208, SMN no. 1176a), 1 skull (no. 17641). Description. — Length of forearm in males varying from 44 to 49 mm, in females from 44.4 to 51.7 mm; ears about 15 mm long, with rounded tips, outer margin deeply concave in upper third, convex in lower two-thirds; upper lip projecting slightly beyond the lower lip; in the males the wing sac in the antebrachial membrane is situated close to the forearm near the elbow, opening on the dorsal surface of the membrane; on the ventral surface of this membrane the wing sac presents itself as a large swollen wrinkled pouch of about 9 mm long; in the females the wing sac is much smaller, sometimes even rudimentary. Interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched extending to about the level of the bases of the toes; calcar about 17 mm long, conspicuously shorter than the tibia (which is about 22 mm), equal to the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; tail not reaching to the middle of the interfemoral membrane, perforating this membrane and appearing on its dorsal surface, the free end being up to 6 mm long; wing membranes from the ankles or from slightly above them on the tibia. The fur is soft and dense; dorsally it extends on the wing membranes as far as a line drawn from the proximal third of the upper arm to the knee, it is more loosely arranged on the interfemoral membrane and extends there to the exsertion of the tail. The ventral fur of the wing membranes is less dense than dorsally, while the ventral surface of the antebrachial membrane as well as that of the interfemoral membrane are for their greater part covered with fine short whitish hairs; naked zones are usually found along the free margins of these membranes and along the thigh and tibia. The coat colour of the dorsal surface of the body is uniformly blackish brown or blackish, with the exception of two wavy longitudinal whitish or buffy white lines. These lines, which extend from about the shoulders either to the rump or to the base of the tail, are sometimes very distinct, but may be vague or interrupted; the hairs in these lines have only the tips white. In specimens with worn pelage the coat colour is more dark brownish. Page 86 could not be converted This page was skipped, but the rest of the document is available. 520 Server Error: <none> for url: https://convert.identific.com:2053/api/convert 57 CHIROPTERA The colour of the ventral surface is more greyish brown; here the hairs are bicoloured, the basal two-thirds are dark to blackish brown, the upper third is more greyish brown or buffy white. The membranes are blackish. Dentition: 11, C P |, M |. Upper incisors small, separated by distinct spaces from each other as well as from the canines; first premolar a simple spicule without anterior and posterior cusps, placed between the canine and the large second pre- molar without touching either; second premolar with its base of equal size as that of the canine, its shaft is about two-thirds the length of that of the canine; crowns of the molars distinctly lower than that of the second premolar. Lower incisors small, trifid, forming a continuous row between the slender canines; first premolar with a broad base which equals that of the second premolar, touching the canine as well as the second premolar, the shaft of the first premolar is slightly more than half the length of that of the second premolar. Skull with interorbital constriction broad and posterior constriction narrow, the two being separated by long and broad TABLE 5 External and skull measurements of ten specimens of Saccopteryx bilineata (Temminck) from Suriname. Museum RMNH RMNH RMNH SMN RMNH RMNH RMNH RMNH RMNH RMNH Reg. number 3934 3929 3946 1176a,3 3943 3926 3927 3930 3925 3928 Sex d d d d d 9 9999 Forearm 47.2 49.0 49.0 47.1 48.5 48.0 47.2 48.6 50.0 51.0 Third digit, metacarpal 45 48.5 46.5 45 48 48.5 46 48 48 49 Ist phalanx 14.5 J 5.5 15.5 15 15.5 15 14.5 16 15 15 2nd phalanx 25 26 26 25 26 26 25 28 26 26 Fourth digit, metacarpal 4015 42.5 41.5 40 44 43.5 41 43.5 42 43 1st phalanx 7.5 8 8.5 8.5 8.5 9 8 9.5 8 8.5 2nd phalanx 10 9.5 10 9.5 10 10 9.5 10.5 -9.5 9.5 Fifth digit, metacarpal 37.5 40 40 38.5 40 40.5 38.5 41 40 41 1st phalanx .10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 11 10.5 10 11.5 10 10.5 2nd phalanx 8.5 8.5 9.5 8.5 8.5 8.5 8 8.5 8 8.5 Tibia 21 22 23 21.5 22 22 21 22 22 22 Hind foot 10.5 11 11 11 10.5 10 10.5 12 10 11 Calcar 16 17 17 16 16 16 J7 19 18 18 Skull: greatest length 17.0 17.1 17.1 17.3 - 16.7 16.7 17.2 17.3 17.4 condylobasal length from i 15.3 15.5 15.3 15.6 <■ 15.1 15.3 15.6 15.8 15.9 condyle to front of canine 15.1 15.4 15.2 15.5 15.5 15.0 ' 15.1 15.4 15.5 15.5 basal length from i 13.8 14.1 13.8 13.8 - 13.6 13.7 14.1 14.4 14.3 palatal length from i 6.8 7.0 6.9 6.8 - 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.5 zygomatic breadth 10.9 11.4 10.8 10.8 11.2 10.6 11.0 10.5 11.2 10.6 breadth of braincase 8.2 8.2 8.1 8.3 8.0 8.0 7.9 8.0 8.3 8.0 height of braincase, without crest 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.9 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.5 mastoid breadth 8.7 9.0 8.7 9.1 8.8 8.6 8.7 8.7 8.8 8.9 interorbital constriction 4.1 4.5 4.0 4.6 4.7 4.9 4.5 4.8 4.9 4.5 postorbital constriction 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.5 width across molars 7.5 7.6 7.5 7.4 7.5 7.2 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.5 width across cingula canines 4.0 4.3 4.0 4.0 4.1 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.0 4.1 upper tooth-row, c - 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.0 7.3 lower tooth-row, c - m^ 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.6 7.6 7.4 7.3 7.5 7.3 7.5 length of mandible 12.5 12.6 12.8 12.3 12.5 12.4 12.2 12.5 12.8 13.0 58 CHIROPTERA (L.), no. 13490. Width across cingula canines, in mm: a, 3.2; b, 4.1; c, 3.9; d, 9.5. Noctilio leporinus leporinus Diclidurus scutatus Peters, no. 17361; d, (Temminck), ZMB no. A1841-1; c, (Wied), no. 3917; b, Rhynchonycteris naso Sac- copteryx bilineata Fig. 13. Canines and incisors in front view. a, CHIROPTERA 59 postorbital processes. The sagittal crest, which extends from the postorbital region, to the supraoccipital bone, is distinct, varying in height from 0.4 to 0.6 mm. The large basisphenoid pit is divided by a well developed longitudinal septum. The external and skull measurements of ten specimens from Suriname are given in Table 5. Remarks. — The taxonomy of the present species was discussed by Husson (1962 : 39-41), who also gave more information about the holotype of the species. Saccopteryx canescens Thomas, 1901 Text-fig. 9c (interfemoral membrane) Saccopteryx canescens Thomas, 190id, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (7) 7: 366-367. Type locality. — "Obidos, on the Amazon", Brazil. Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 334; Cabrera, 1958: 49; Husson, 1962: 45. Distribution. -— "From northern Colombia south through central Peru and east to French Guiana and the Amazon basin" (Sanborn, 1937: 334, map in fig. 41). Occurrence in Suriname. — The species was first reported from Suriname by Thomas (190id) in the original description of the species, some of his paratypes being labelled "Surinam". Husson (1962) gave some additional records, all from the coastal lowland area. So far the species is only known from these records. I have examined the following material from Suriname: i. Tibiti River, tributary of the Coppename River, Saramacca District, i female (no. 12090, skin and skull). 2. Paramaribo, Suriname District, 4 females (CNHM nos. 93221-93223, ZMH no. 23517, skins and skulls). 3. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 2 males (SMN no. 3587.3, ZMB no. A4208.4, skins and skulls). Description. — Length of forearm varying from 34.4 to 40.8 mm; length of ear about 11 mm; interfemoral membrane, when stretched, extending beyond the toes; calcar (about 15 mm) slightly shorter than the tibia (about 16 mm); wing sac short, close to the forearm near the elbow and opening on the dorsal surface of the an- tebrachial membrane; wing membranes from the ankles or from the proximal part of the metatarsus; fur soft and dense, extending on the. wing membranes, above and beneath, as far as a line drawn from the distal third of the humerus to the knee, and on the dorsal surface of the interfemoral membrane to the distal part of the tail; the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane is sparsely clothed with short fine hairs; the colour of the dorsal surface varies from greyish brown to brownish with a grizzled appearance, it is usually darkest brown between the two whitish longitudinal stripes, which in some specimens are distinct, in others hardly visible; the hairs of the dorsal surface are bicolourous, the basal three-fourths dark brown, the tips whitish, light yellowish brown or buffy; the colour of the ventral surface is distinctly lighter than that of the back, the basal half of the hairs is dark brown to plumbeous, the upper half greyish or buffy; the wing membranes are blackish brown. 60 CHIROPTERA Dental formula: I $, C P §, M §. Skull and teeth essentially like in Saccopteryx bilineata, but in all dimensions much smaller. The external and skull measurements of four specimens are given in Table 6. In the original description of Saccopteryx canescens, Thomas (ipoid: 366) stated that he also examined material of the species from Suriname. The coat colour of this smallest of the Suriname Emballonurinae proves to be variable, at least in the specimens examined. The grizzled appearance of the dorsal surface of the body is present in all specimens, while the colour of the ventral surface is much lighter, more washed with grey, than that of the dorsal surface. The extent and the distinctness of the whitish longitudinal dorsal lines vary strongly. Sanborn (1937: 334-335) quite correctly considered Saccopteryx pumila, originally described by Thomas (1914:410-411) from Venezuela (and reported by him also from French Guiana), to be identical with S. canescens. My material fully supports Sanborn's arguments for synonymizing the two species. In my Suriname specimens TABLE 6 External and skull measurements of six specimens of Saccopteryx leptura (Schreber), left of vertical line; and of four specimens of Saccopteryx canescens Thomas right of vertical line; all ten specimens from Suriname. Museum SMN ZMB RMNH ZMB RMNH ZMB SMN ZMB RMNH ZMH Reg. number 3587,1 3982,1 17584 3982,2 17587 A1840,2 3587,3 A4208,4 12090 23517 Sex 6 6 6 9 9 9 6 6 9 9 Forearm 38.5 39.6 37.5 40.6 39.0 40.5 36.3 36.3 39 39.8 Third digit, metacarpal 37.5 39 36.5 40 37.5 38.5 36 35 - 39 1st phalanx 11.5 11.5 10.5 12 10 12 11.5 11.5 - 12 2nd phalanx 23 22 21 22 20 23 20 17 - 17 Fourth digit,metacarpal 32.5 33.5 32 35.5 35 35 31.5 31 - 34.5 1st phalanx 7 6.5 7 7 7.5 7 7 7 - 6 2nd phalanx 8 7.5 8 7.5 8.5 7.5 7 7 - 7.5 Fifth digit, metacarpal 30.5 32 29.5 33 32.5 32 29.5 30.5 - 33.5 1st phalanx 8.5 7.5 8.5 8.5 9 8.5 8 8 - 7.5 2nd phalanx 7.5 6 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 5.5 5 - 5.5 Tibia 16 15 15 17 16 17 14.5 13.5 - 15 Hind foot 8 8 7.5 8 8 8 7 6.5 - 7 Calcar 13.5 13 13 14 - 14 12.5 13.5 - 14 Skull: greatest length 13.8 13.9 14.2 13.6 13.9 14.2 12.7 13.0 12.7 13.0 condylobasal length 12.3 12.5 12.5 12.3 12.5 12.8 11.4 11.3 11.3 11.9 condyle to front of canine 12.3 12.5 12.3 12.3 12.2 12.7 11.4 11.3 11.2 11.8 basal length from i 10.8 11.0 11.3 11.0 11.4 11.3 10.2 10.5 9.5 10.5 palatal length from i 5.J 5.1 5.3 4.9 5.1 5.1 4.5 4.7 4.6 5.1 zygomatic breadth - 9.0 9.1 9.0 9.1 8.8 7.7 7.9 8.0 8.0 breadth of braincase 7.1 7.0 7.4 6.7 7.0 6.8 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.1 height of braincase 6.0 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.9 5.1 5.1 5.4 5.3 mastoid breadth 7.2 7.6 7.4 7.2 7.3 7.3 6.6 6.8 6.6 6.6 interorbital constriction 3.0 3.4 3.4 4.0 3.5 3.5 - 2.8 2.1 2.2 postorbital constriction 2.4 2.2 2.2 2.2 2.5 2.3 2.2 2.1 - - width across molars 6.1 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.0 5.8 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.5 width across cingula canines 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.3 3.2 3.1 2.7 2.7 2.9 2.8 upper tooth-row, c - m 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.3 5.3 5.0 5.0 4.7 5.1 lower tooth-row, c - ra^ 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.1 5.0 5.2 length of mandible 9.8 9.9 9.7 9.9 10.0 9.5 8.5 8.8 8.7 8.9 61 CHIROPTERA the length of the upper tooth-row falls within the range of variation as given by Sanborn for the true S. canescens, while the three skulls seen by me, in which the basisphenoid is entire, show a median septum of the basisphenoid pit. Admittedly this septum is low and extends only half-way down the pit. It is not clear why Cabrera (1958: 50) srill kept the two species separated. Saccopteryx leptura (Schreber, 1774) Text-fig. 9d (interfemoral membrane), pi. 15 (skull) Vespertilio Lepturus Schreber, 1774, Die Saugthiere, pi. 57 Type locality. — "Surinam". Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 332; Cabrera, 1958: 50; Husson, 1962: 41. Vernacular names. — (E) Lesser White-lined Bat. Distribution. — The species occurs from the Panama Canal Zone eastward through Venezuela, Tobago and Trinidad, and the Guianas, to north-eastern Brazil and south to south-western Peru (Sanborn, 1937: 332, map in fig. 40). Occurrence in Suriname. — Although the species was originally described from Suriname, and since 1774 has several times been reported from that country, the first more precise records from within Suriname were provided by Husson (1962). The species evidently is not rare in the coastal lowlands of Suriname, but has not yet been found in the far interior. The following material has been examined by me: i. Stondansi Falls, upper Nickerie River at about 5°5'N, Nickerie District, i male (no. 21698, skin and skull). 2. Tibiti River, tributary of Coppename River, Saramacca District, 1 male (no. 17585, skin and skull). 3. Neighbourhood of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 3 females (ZMA, skin and skull; CNHM nos. 93220, 93224, skins and skulls). 4. Baboenhol, north-west of Afobaka, about 80 km south of Paramaribo, Brokopondo District, 1 male (no. 24868, 1 skull). 5. Brokopondo on Suriname River north of Brokopondo Lake, 2 females (no. 18288, skull; ZMA no. 9565, skin and skull), 1 specimen (no. 25195, skin and skull). 6. Afobaka on Suriname River, north shore of Brokopondo Lake, 2 males (ZMA nos. 9559, 9560, skins and skulls), 1 female (ZMA no. 9558, skin and skull). 7. Njoenkondre on Suriname River, now covered by Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, 1 female (no. 25242, skin and skull). 8. Coastal region between Moengotapoe and Wiawia Bank, Marowijne District, 5 males (nos. 17579, 17581, 17583, 17584, 17586, skins and skulls), 5 females (nos. 17577, 17580, 17582, t 7587, 17588, skins and skulls), 1 skull (no. 17578). 9. Galibi, mouth of Marowijne River, 1 male (ZMA no. 9219, skin and skull). 10. Langamankondre near mouth of Marowijne River, south of Galibi, Marowijne District, 2 specimens (no. 18279, skins and skulls). 11. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 6 males and 7 females (nos. 17543, 17544, SMN no. 3587, ZMA no. 1651, ZMB nos. 1840, 3215, 3982, 4208, skins and skulls). Description. — Length of forearm varying in males from 37.4 to 40 mm, in females from 39.1 to 42.3 mm; muzzle slightly projecting beyond the lower lip; ears narrow, about 12 mm long; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched extending 62 CHIROPTERA to about the toes or beyond the feet; calcar, about 14 mm long, two or three milli- metres shorter than the tibia, and about two and a half times as long as the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; in the males the ventral surface of the ante- brachial membrane shows close to the forearm near the elbow a large, swollen wing sac of about 6 mm long, opening on the dorsal surface of the membrane; in females this pouch is rudimentary or absent; wing membranes from the ankles or from the proximal part of the metatarsus. Fur soft and dense; on the dorsal surface of the wing membrane the fur extends as far as a line drawn from the distal third of the upper arm to the knee, and on the dorsal surface of the thighs and of the inter- femoral membrane as far as the exsertion of the tail. On the ventral surface the extent of the fur is quite similar to that of the dorsal surface but it is less dense, while the whole of the interfemoral membrane is covered with short fine hairs, which are sparse on a broad zone along the tibia. The colour of the dorsal surface is uni- formly dark brown, with the exception of two faint, longitudinal whitish wavy lines, which extend from behind the shoulders to the rump; in these lines, which are often very indistinct, the tips of the hairs are whitish or light yellowish. The colour of the ventral surface of the body is lighter than that of the dorsal since the distal third of the ventral hairs is light yellowish brown, the basal two-thirds being dark brown. The wings are blackish brown. Dentition: 1i, C P §, M |. Skull and teeth essentially like in Saccopteryx bilineata, but much smaller in all dimensions. The sagittal crest is sharply defined but low, usually less than 0.2 mm high (in S. bilineata the height of the crest varies from 0.4 to 0.6 mm). The deep and large basisphenoid pits are divided by a low longitudinal septum. The external and skull measurements of six Suriname specimens of the present species are given in Table 6. The differences in coat colour of Saccopteryx bilineata, S. leptura, and. S. canescens can not always be relied upon to distinguish these species. However, the much greater length of the forearm and that of the tooth-row of. S. bilineata distinguish this species immediately from the other two. S. leptura differs from S. canescens in the larger dimensions of the skull; the ranges of the length of the forearm in the two species overlap. Remarks. — Husson (1962:41,43) listed and discussed the old records of this species from Suriname. Cormura brevirostris (Wagner, 1843) Text-fig. ge (interfemoral membrane), pi. 15 (skull) Emballonura brevirostris Wagner, 1843, Archiv Naturgeschichte, 9 (1): 367 Type locality. — "Marabitanas", Rio Negro, Amazonas, Brazil. Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 348; Cabrera, 1958: 50; Husson, 1962: 46. Vernacular names. — (E) Wagner's Sac-winged Bat. 63 CHIROPTERA 5 Distribution. — The present species has been reported from Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Suriname, the Amazon Basin and the Mato Grosso in Brazil (Sanborn, 1937: 348, map in fig. 47). Occurrence in Suriname. — The first mention of this species from Suriname is by Miller (1906: 59), who described four specimens, collected by Kappler, as a new genus and species, Myropteryx pullus. Later Miller's types were shown to belong to the present species (Cabrera, 1958: 50; Husson, 1962: 46-51). Husson (1962) dealt with additional Suriname material of the species. So far, Cormura brevirostris is only known from the coastal lowland area of Suriname, but the available records are too few to give a reliable picture of the occurrence of the species within Suriname. I have examined the following Suriname specimens: i. Coastal region between Moengotapoe and Wiawia Bank, Marowijne District, 5 males (nos. 17491, 17492, 17496-17498, skins and skulls), 4 females (nos. 17489, 17493-17495, skins and skulls). 2. Galibi, left bank of the mouth of the Marowijne River, Marowijne District, 1 male (no. 17490, skin and skull). 3. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 2 males (ZMB nos. 3360a (paratype of Myropteryx pullus Miller, skin and skull), 4522, skin), 1 female holotype of Myropteryx pullus Miller (ZMB no. 3360, skin). Description. — Length of foreaim varying in the examined Suriname specimens from 41.5 to 47.0 mm; length of ears from meatus, about 12 mm; ear conch trian- gular, rounded above; tragus more or less rectangular, about one-third the length of the ear; wing sac about in the centre of the antebrachial membrane, extending from near the anterior border of the free margin of the membrane to near the elbow, up to 7 mm long, slightly more developed in males than in females; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched reaching slightly beyond the hind foot; tail not reaching to the middle of the interfemoral membrane, perforating it and appearing on its dorsal surface, the length of its free end varying from x to 3 mm; calcar usually slightly shorter than the tibia, but distinctly longer than the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; hind foot relatively short, much less than half the length of the tibia; wing membrane from the distal half of the metatarsus near the base of the outer toe. Fur soft and dense, above and beneath extending on the wing membrane as far as a line drawn from the middle of the upper arm to the middle of the thigh; the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane is sparsely covered with short whitish hairs, often restricted to the sides of the tail only. Two colour phases occur: one bright reddish brown, the other more dark brown; in both phases both the dorsal and the ventral hairs are unicoloured, the extreme base of the hairs only is somewhat lighter; the ventral surface of the body is slightly paler than the dorsal. The wings are dark to blackish brown. Dental formula: 1 P |, M Upper incisors minute, probably deciduous in early stage in most specimens; first upper premolar small, rounded, with distinct anterior and posterior cusps, almost or actually touching the canine, but separated by a distinct space from the second, large premolar; it reaches to or slightly beyond 64 CHIROPTERA the middle of the height of the cingulum of the canine; the large second premolar touches the first molar, its shaft being distinctly higher than the crown of the latter. Lower incisors small, trifid, forming a continuous row between the slender canines; first lower premolar triangular with distinct anterior and posterior cusps, which touch the canine as well as the second premolar; the first premolar is as high as or slightly higher than the anterior margin of the cingulum of the canine, it is about half as high as the second premolar. The sagittal crest is well developed, its height being up to 0.7 mm in males, up to 0.4 mm in females; it extends from the postorbital region to the supraoccipital bone. In the five undamaged Suriname skulls seen by me the posterior margin of the palate ends distinctly behind the last molar; this margin is V-shaped. These five skulls show no septum dividing the basisphenoid pit. The external and skull measurements of ten specimens from Suriname are given in Table 7. Remarks. — Husson (1962: 48-51) discussed the synonymy of this species and the identity of Myropteryx pullus. TABLE 7 External and skull measurements of ten specimens of Cormura brevirostris (Wagner) from Suriname. ZMB reg. no. 3360 is the holotype of Myropteryx pullus Miller. Museum ZMB RMNH RMNH RMNH RMNH RMNH ZMB RMNH RMNH ZMB Reg. number 3360 17494 17493 17489 17498 17491 4522 17497 17490 3360, Sex 9 9 9 9 d d d d d d Forearm 45.0 41.5 44.5 45.1 41.5 44.0 45.6 46 46.5 47.0 Third digit, metacarpal 40.5 40.5 42 41.5 40.5 40.5 40 42 42 41 1st phalanx 14 12 14 13 12 12 13 13 13 13 2nd phalanx 22 22 20 22 20 22 21 19 20 21 Fourth digit, metacarpal 34.5 34.5 35.5 35 33 35 34.5 35 36 34 1st phalanx JO 10 10.5 10 10 9.5 9 10 10 10 2nd phalanx 8 7.5 7.5 - 7 6 7 7.5 7.5 7 Fifth digit, metacarpal 32.0 30.5 33.5 31.5 31 31.5 32 32.5 34 32 1st phalanx 11 11 11.5 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 2nd phalanx 7 7 7 - 7 5 7 7 7 6 Tibia 16 15 16 15 15.5 15 16 16.5 16 16 Hind foot 7 7 - 7 7 6.5 7 7 7 7 Calcar 14 14 13.5 15 13 14.5 15 13 15.5 Skull: greatest length - - 15.3 15.1 - 15.8 - - 15.4 - condylobasal length "---- 14.7 - 7 - - condyle to front of canine - 13.9 14.3 13.6 - 14.3 - " 13.8 - basal length - " 12.7 11.3 - 13.0 " - 11.7 - palatal length " - 6.4 5.2 " 7.3 - 6.1 5.4 - zygomatic breadth " 10.0 9.6 - 10.0 - " 9.8 - breadth of braincase " 7.8 7.6 7.7 " 7.8 - - 7.5 " height of braincase, without crest " 6.0 6.2 6.1 - 6.3 " - 6.0 - mastoid breadth - 8.8 8.8 8.3 T 8.8 - - 8.5 - interorbital constriction - 4.7 4.9 4.9 - 4.5 - - 5.0 - postorbital constriction " 2.7 2.8 3.0 - 2.8 " 3.2 2.8 - width across molars - - 7.4 7.2 6.9 7.4 - " 7.4 - width across cingula canines - - 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.8 " - 3.7 " upper tooth -row, c - m"^ - 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.2 - 6.3 6.2 6.3 lower tooth -row, c - m. - 6.5 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.5 - 6.5 6.5 6.6 length o£ mandible - 11.1 11.3 11.1 11.2 11.0 " 11.3 11.2 11.2 65 CHIROPTERA Peropteryx kappleri kappleri Peters, 1867 Text-fig. 8c (interfemoral membrane) Peropteryx Kappleri Peters, 1867, Monatsberichte Koniglicli Preuss. Akad. Wissensch. Berlin, 1867: 473-474. Type locality. — "Surinam". Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 343; Cabrera, 1958: 51; Husson, 1962: 51. Vernacular names. — (E) Greater Doglike Bat. Distribution. — South-eastern Brazil and Peru through northern South America and Central America north to S. Mexico (Veracruz). The smaller Peruvian form has been distinguished as a separate subspecies P. kappleri intermedia Sanborn, 1951. Occurrence in Suriname. — The only specimen of this species known so far from Suriname is the holotype female, labelled "Surinam" (ZMB no. 3348, skin), collected by A. Kappler, probably near his home at Albina on the Marowijne River. Description. — Length of forearm varying from 45 to 53.6 mm; ear length about 18 mm; interfemoral membrane, when stretched, reaching to the foot; wing sac short, on the anterior edge of the antebrachial membrane; calcar (about 17.5 mm) shorter than the tibia (about 19.5 mm), about as long as the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; wing membranes from the ankles. According to Sanborn I 1 937 •' 343) "there are two colour phases; one is close to mummy brown and the other is a little darker than Prout's brown. In both, the underparts are slightly lighter". Dental formula: 11, Ci, P |, M §. Upper incisors small, separated by a distinct space from each other as well as from the canines; first upper premolar a structureless spicule, separated by a space from the second premolar. Lower teeth essentially like those of Saccopteryx bilineata. The rostrum is sharply set off by an angle from the braincase, the dorsal surface of the rostrum is nearly parallel to the tooth-row; the basisphenoid pit is not divided by a septum. In my opinion it is almost certain that the above mentioned specimen from the Berlin Museum is the holotype of Peropteryx kappleri Peters. The specimen itself is not labelled, while the inscription on the label affixed to the jar in which it is pre- served is difficult to decipher; as far as I can see, however, it contains no indication referring to a type. Unfortunately the skull was extracted and is no longer with the specimen; it could not be found in the Berlin Museum, and must probably be con- sidered lost. The external measurements of the present specimen taken by me agree so well with those given by Peters of his type that the identity of the two seems highly probable. The differences in the lengths of the forearm and of the metacarpals found by me may be due to a different method of measuring; the remarkable dif- ference in the length of the second phalanx of the third digit can be explained by assuming that Peters measured the length of the curved outline, while I took the shortest distance between the extreme tip of the second phalanx and the articulation between the first and second phalanges. The following measurements were taken by me, in parentheses Peters's measurements of the holotype are given: forearm, 51.6 66 CHIROPTERA (50); length of third metacarpal, 47 (45); first phalanx, 15 (15); second phalanx, 24 (27); length of fourth metacarpal, 39.5 (38); first phalanx, 10.5 (10); second phalanx, 10 (10); length of fifth metacarpal, 37.5 (36); first phalanx, 12 (12); second phalanx, 7 (7.5); length of ear from meatus, 14 (13.5); tragus, 6 (5.5); tibia, 21 (20); hind foot, 10.5 (10); calcar, 17 (17); length of tail from anus, 15 (16) mm. The tail is free for about 2 mm; the calcar is somewhat shorter than the free margin of the inter- femoral membrane. The following are the ranges of variation of the skull measurements as given by Sanborn (1937: 343): skull, greatest length, 16-17.8; condylobasal length, 14.1-16.2; palatal length, 6.3-7.1; zygomatic breadth, 9.5-10.9; breadth of braincase, 7.1-8; mastoid breadth, 8.1-9; interorbital constriction, 2.6-3.5; width across molars, 7-8.3; width across cingula canines, 4.1-5.2; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 6.8-7.8 mm. Remarks. — Peropteryx kappleri kappleri seems to be rare in Suriname; though I examined a rather great number of Suriname Emballonurinae I did not see any specimen of this species, apart from the above mentioned supposed holotype. Ac- cording to Sanborn (1937: 344) "the members of the genus Peropteryx have often been reported from very shallow caves or from crevices between boulders where light can enter". Since in Suriname bats never have been systematically collected, it is very likely that such places have not been thoroughly explored. This also may explain why the widely distributed species Peropteryx macrotis macrotis (Wagner) so far has not been reported from Suriname. This latter species is on the average smaller than P. kappleri (see the key on page 48); for its description I refer to Dobson (1878: 373-374: Saccopteryx canina), , Sanborn (1937: 339"34ii %43: map of distribution), Husson (i960: 57-59, fig. 9: head, front and right side views, pi. 12: skull), and Goodwin & Greenhall (1961: 215-216, figs. 8-11 : head, antebrachial mem- brane, rostrum and palate of skull, pi. 8 figs. 1-3: skull). Peronymus leucopterus leucopterus (Peters, 1867) Text-fig. gi (interfemoral membrane) Peropteryx leucoptera Peters, 1867, Monatsberichte Koniglich Preuss. Akad. Wissensch. Berlin, 1867: 474. Type locality. — "Surinam". Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 345; Cabrera, 1958: 52; Husson, 1962: 54. Distribution. -— The nominate subspecies has been reported from southern Vene- zuela, Suriname and the Amazon basin (Sanborn, 1937: 345, map in fig. 46). A second subspecies, P. l. cyclops Thomas is only known from Peru. Occurrence in Suriname. — So far the only known Suriname specimens of this species are the types, which were collected by A. Kappler, possibly near his home at Albina on the Marowijne River. I have examined the types, 2 males (ZMB no. A1840, A4208, skins and skulls), 6 females (ZMB no. A, B, A1839, 3349.1 and 2, and A4208.1, skins and skulls; 3349.2, skin). 67 CHIROPTERA Description. — The most striking characters of the present species are the follow- ing: (a) the ears are connected across the forehead by a low band, (b) the greater part of the wing membranes is white, and (c) the deep basisphenoid pit is undivided by a plate, and has two large pterygoid pits at its anterior end. Length of forearm varying in males from 40.9 to 44.6 mm, in females from 42.2 to 47 mm; ears united across the forehead by a low band with a deep notch in the centre; interfemoral membrane, when stretched, extending to the toes; calcar (about 14 mm) equal to or slightly shorter than the tibia (about 15 mm), about one and a half times as long as the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; wing membrane from the ankles or from the proximal part of the metatarsus; wing sac short, situated on the upper edge of the antebrachial membrane approximately above the middle of the upper arm; fur soft and dense, extending on the dorsal surface of the wing membranes as far as a line drawn from about the middle of the upper arm to the knee, and on the interfemoral membrane extending to the point of exit of the tail; on the ventral surface, the fur extends on the wing membranes as far as a line drawn from the proximal third of the upper arm to the basal part of the thigh, while the entire interfemoral membrane is clothed with short fine hairs. The coat colour is dark brown above, somewhat paler beneath; distal parts of the wing membranes are white from at least a line drawn from the elbow to the knee, the antebrachial and the interfemoral membranes are dark brown. Dental formula: 1§, C i, P §, M §. Upper incisors slender and small, separated by a distinct space from each other as well as from the canines; first upper premolar small, about twice as wide as the incisors, without anterior or posterior cusps, standing in about the centre of the space between the canine and the large, second premolar; the basis of the second premolar slightly shorter than that of the canine, its shaft about two-thirds as high as that of the canine. Lower teeth essentially similar to those of Saccopteryx bilineata. The basisphenoid pit is deep, not divided by a plate; there are two large lateral pterygoid pits at its anterior end (see Sanborn, 1937: fig. 45). The external and skull measurements of seven specimens from Suriname are given in Table 8. Remarks. — The taxonomic position of the present species has been discussed by Husson (1962: 55, 56). Centronycteris maximiliani maximiliani (Fischer, 1829) Text-fig. gg (interfemoral membrane), pi. 16 (skull) Vespertilio Maximiliani Fischer, 1829, Synopsis Mammalium: 112-113. Type locality. — "In ora orientali Brasiliae". The type locality is given more precisely by Wied (1826: 271): "Diese Fledermaus wurde auf der Fazenda zu Coroaba am Fliisschen Jncu, unweit des Rio do Espirito Santo gefunden". Synonymies. — Sanborn, 1937: 336; Cabrera, 1958: 53; Husson, 1962: 56. Vernacular names. — (E) Thomas's Bat. 68 CHIROPTERA Distribution. — The species occurs from eastern Brazil northward to Mexico. Sanborn (1937:337, map in fig. 42) and Cabrera (1958:53) recognized two sub- species: (1) the nominate subspecies occurring in eastern Brazil and the Guianas, and (2) C.m. centralis Thomas from Peru and western Brazil north to Mexico. Occurrence in Suriname. — The species was reported for the first time from Suriname by Husson (1962), who reported upon a female from a savanna forest near Tibiti River, tributary of Coppename River, Saramacca District (no. 12111, skin and skull), this still is the only specimen known from the country. Description. — Length of forearm varying from 42.6 to 44.5 mm; ears somewhat longer than the head, about n. 5 mm long; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched reaching about the level of the toes; tail perforating the interfemoral membrane at about its centre, the free end of the tail about 3 mm long; calcar of about the same length as the tibia, the free posterior margin of the interfemoral membrane short; wing membrane from the base of the outer toe; fur rather long and soft, extending on the basal part of the interfemoral membrane, which for the TABLE 8 External and skull measurements of seven specimens of Peronymus leucopterus leucopterus (Peters) from Suriname in the Berlin Museum. Reg. number A1840,J A A4208, I B 3349,1 3349,2 A1839 Sex 69999 9 9 Forearm 40.9 44.3 44.1 45.0 43.0 42.2 43.0 Third digit, metacarpal 37.5 40 40 40.5 38 37.5 39 1st phalanx JO 1J.5 10 11 11 10 10 2nd phalanx 20 22 22 22 22 21 22 Fourth digit, metacarpal 30 33 33.5 33.5 32 31 32.5 1st phalanx 8 8.5 8.5 9 8.5 8.5 8 2nd phalanx 10 9 - 9 9 9 9 Fifth digit, metacarpal 29 31 31 32.5 30.5 30 31 1st phalanx JO 11 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.5 10 2nd phalanx 8.5 8.5 8 8.5 8 7.5 8 Tibia 15 15 14 16 15 14.5 15 Hind foot 8 8 8 8 8.5 8.5 9 Calcar J3 15 13 15.5 15 13.5 14 Skull: greatest length J5.0 14.5 14.7 15.0 15.0 - 15.4 condylobasal length 13.7 13.8 13.5 13.5 13.7 - 13.9 condyle to front of canine 13.3 13.6 12.9 13.4 13.5 - 13.4 basal length 12.6 12.3 12.1 12.4 12.6 - 12.5 palatal length 6.5 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.0 - 6.3 zygomatic breadth 9.2 9.5 9.2 9.4 9.6 - 9.8 breadth of braincase 6.8 7.4 7.1 7.0 7.1 - 7.5 height of braincase 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.6 5.3 - 5.6 mastoid breadth 7.6 8.0 7.7 7.6 8.0 - 8.0 interorbital constriction 5.7 5.8 5.9 6.2 5.7 - . postorbital constriction 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.3 3.1 - - width across molars 7.0 7.3 6.8 6.9 6.8 - 7.0 width across cingula canines 3.8 3.8 3.7 3.8 3.7 - 3.9 upper tooth-row, c - ra"* 6.0 6.2 5.9 6.1 6.0 - 6.2 lower tooth-row, c - ro^ 6.2 - 6.0 6.2 6.2 - 6.3 length of mandible 9.9 - 10.5 10.7 10.5 - 10.7 69 CIIIROPTERA rest is thinly pubescent; short stiff hairs are present on the blackish brown small spots, which are arranged in transverse lines on the interfemoral membrane. In the original description the colour of the fur is given as reddish brown on the dorsal surface, paler on the ventral parts. In the dried Suriname skin, however, the coat colour is more dull greyish brown above and paler beneath; the wings are dark brown. Dental formula: I J, C P §, M First upper premolar with distinct anterior and posterior cusps like the larger second premolar; basisphenoid divided by a median septum; sagittal crest indistinct, not extending onto the small postorbital processes of the frontals. The following are external and skull measurements of the examined Suriname female specimen; in parentheses are the external measurements of the type, as given by Peters (1867: 479; see for correction of the length of the calcar: Peters, 1872: 701). Forearm, 42.6 (44.5); length of third metacarpal, 45 (45); first phalanx, 18 (17); second phalanx, 23.5 (28); length of fourth metacarpal, 36 (37.5); first phalanx, 10 (9.4); second phalanx, n (11); length of fifth metacarpal, 34 (32.2); first phalanx, 10 (10); second phalanx, 8 (9.3); tibia, 18 (19); hind foot, 7 (7.5); calcar, 18 (18) mm. — Skull: greatest length from canine, 13.9; condyle to front of canine, 12.8; basal length, 11.0; zygomatic breadth, 8.8; breadth of braincase, 6.8; height of braincase, 5.4; mastoid breadth, 7.3; interorbital constriction, 3.2; width across molars, 6.2; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 5.8; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 5.7; mandible, 10.0; length of basisphenoid pits, 2.5 mm. Remarks. — Husson (1962: 58) discussed the taxonomic status of this subspecies. Subfamily DICLIDURINAE The only species of the subfamily Diclidurinae known with certainty from Suriname is Diclidurus scutatus Peters. The subfamily includes also the South American genera Cyttarops and Depanycteris, which are extensively dealt with by Vieira (1942: 254- 255)- Diclidurus scutatus Peters, 1869 Text-figs. 10111 (head), ion (thumb), 10 o (interfemoral membrane), 13c (canines and incisors), pi. 16 (skull) Diclidurus scutatus Peters, 1869, Monatsberichte Koniglich Preuss. Akad. Wissensch. Berlin, 1869: 400-401. Type locality. — "Siidamerica". Restricted by Husson (1962: 59) to "Para, Lower Amazonas, Brazil". Synonymies. — Husson, 1962: 59. Vernacular names. — (E) Lesser White Bat. Distribution. — The species has been reported from Amazonas, Brazil and from the Guianas. CHIROPTERA 70 Occurrence in Suriname. — The only certain Suriname records of the species published thusfar are those from the upper Suriname River and from "Suriname" provided by Husson (1962: 59). The complete list of the material examined by me is the following: I. Brokopondo on Suriname River, north of Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, i skull (no. 18004). 2. Afobaka, on Suriname River, northern shore of Brokopondo Lake, 1 female (no. 17843, skin and skull). 3. Upper Suriname River, probably Brokopondo District, 1 female (no. 17361, skin and skull). 4. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 female (ZMA no. 1625, skin and skull). Description. — The presents species differs from all other Suriname bats in the combination of the following characters: (1) the whitish colour of the long silky fur of the body and of the membranes, (2) the very short thumb, which has a rudimen- tary claw, and which is almost wholly contained within the wing membrane, and (3) the presence of a cordate pouch in the middle of the interfemoral membrane; this pouch is separated by a distinct interval from a second pouch, which is much flatter than the anterior one. Length of forearm varying from 51 to 57.3 mm; ears, and also the tragus, short and broad; thumb very short, with a rudimentary claw, almost wholly contained within the wing membrane; wing membrane from the ankles; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched reaching to behind the ankles; tail about half the length of the interfemoral membrane, the extreme tip ends on the dorsal surface of a cordate pouch, which is separated by a distinct interval from a second pouch, much flatter than the first, the posterior border of this second pouch being about 5 mm from the free margin of the membrane; calcar well developed somewhat shorter than the tibia; fur consisting of long silky hairs of an almost white colour, the basal parts of the hairs greyish brown, these greyish brown parts are shorter on the back than on the ventral surface; short hairs of a black colour are placed around the eyes; the claws of the hind foot are blackish; the wings and the digits are light yellowish. Dental formula: 11, C1, P §, M |. Upper incisors slender, conical, with a distinct cusp at the outer side of the cingulum, a less pronounced cusp on the inner side at about the middle of the tooth; upper incisors separated from one another and from the canines; upper canines with a small but distinct cusp at about one third from the tip; the first upper premolars are very small, in no. 17361 they touch the canine as well as the second premolar, in ZMA no. 1625 this premolar touches the canine but is separated by a small space from the second premolar; postorbital processes short and blunt. Lower incisors trifid, crowded between the canines; first lower pre- molar about one-third the size of the second premolar. The following are external and skull measurements of Suriname specimens from the Leiden and the Amsterdam Museum, of lots 3 and 4 respectively; in parentheses CHIROPTERA 71 some of the measurements of the type are given as published by Peters in 1869. Forearm, 57.3, 54.5, (51); length of third metacarpal, 55.5, —, (49.5); first phalanx, 10, —, (9); second phalanx, 27, —, (23.4); length of fourth metacarpal, 44, 41, (39); first phalanx, 11, 12, (10.7); second phalanx, u, 11.5, (9.3); length of fifth meta- carpal, 34, 33, (30); first phalanx, 17, 16.5, (16); second phalanx, 6.5, 7.5, (6); ear, length, 14, 13; ear, breadth, 10, 10; tibia, 20.5, 20, (19.5); hind foot, 8.5, 8, (8.8); calcar 17.5, 16.5, (16.6) mm. — Skull: greatest length, 15.3, 15.5; condyle to front of canine, 14.7,14.2; basal length, 11.2,10.6; palatal length, 4.5,4.1; zygomatic breadth, 10.7, 10.6; breadth of braincase, 8.3, 8.5; height of braincase, 6.9, 7.2; mastoid breadth, 9.3, 9.3; interorbital constriction, 4.3, 4.4; width across molars, 7.2, 7.1; width across cingula canines, 3.9, 3.8; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 6.6, 6.3; lower tooth- row, c-m 3 , 7.3, 7.1; length of mandible, 12.4, 12.1 mm. Remarks. — Another white species of bat may be found in Suriname, viz., Dicli- durus albus Wied, 1819, a species, the range of which extends from south-eastern Brazil to Central America. D. albus is a larger species than D. scutatus, as shown by the fact that its upper tooth-row (c-m 3 ) is about 8 mm (6.5 mm in D. scutatus) and that its forearm length is about 63 mm (in D. scutatus 51-57.3 mm). Also the interfem- oral membrane in D. albus is different (cf. Goodwin & Greenhall, 1961: 218, fig. 13). White bats have been reported several times from Suriname (see Husson, 1962: 62), the first time in 1844, but the reports are not sufficiently accurate to make a certain identification possible. Some authors (Vieira, 1942: 252; Cabrera, 1958: 54) synonymized D. albus and D. scutatus. FAMILY NOCTILIONIDAE The two species of the family Noctilionidae occurring in Suriname can immediately be recognized by (1) the peculiar shape of the truncated muzzle and of the upper lip (which resembles that of a bulldog and of a hare), with the chin having well-developed transverse ridges, (2) the long, narrow, pointed ears, the small tragus of which shows prominent tooth-like processes, (3) the short, brightly coloured fur on the back, which narrows from the shoulders towards the tail, where its breadth is about 10 to 15 mm, (4) the wings, which are attached to the back and not to the sides. Other striking characters are the short tail, which does not exceed half the length of the well-developed interfemoral membrane, and the free tip of which, appearing on the upper surface of the membrane, is 2 to 4 mm long; the remarkably large and strong hind foot, which is about three-fourth the length of the tibia. Like in the families Emballonuridae and Furipteridae there are only two phalanges in the third digit, the second phalanx is about three times or more the length of the first phalanx. The length of the forearm is more than 50 mm, while the massive and broad skull, at least in the adult males, has a high sagittal crest. CHIROPTERA 72 Key to the Suriname Noctilionidae ia. Length of forearm more than 70 mm; combined length of the tibia and hind foot more than 70 per cent of the length of the forearm . Noctilio leporinus leporinus, P- 73 b. Length of forearm less than 70 mm; combined length of the tibia and hind foot less than 70 per cent of the length of the forearm Noctilio labialis albiventris, p. 72 Noctilio labialis albiventris Desmarest, 1818 Text-figs. 9I1 (interfemoral membrane), 15b (head), pi. 17 (skull) Noctilio albiventris Desmarest, 1818, Nouveau Dictionnaire d'Histoire Naturelle, (nouv. 6d.) 23: 15-16. Type locality. — "Patrie. Inconnue, mais tres-vraisemblablement l'Amerique meridionale" (Desmarest, 1820: 118). Restricted by Cabrera (1958: 56) to Rio Sao Francisco, Bahia, Brazil. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 55; Husson, 1962: 63. Distribution. — The species inhabits central and northern South America and southern Central America. The range of the present subspecies (the easternmost of the three subspecies) extends from northern Argentina through Brazil to the Guianas. Occurrence in Suriname. — The present species was reported for the first time from Suriname by Peters (1865b: 571), who examined a specimen from Paramaribo. The only other Suriname record is by Husson (1962: 63; 1973: 6), who also reported on a specimen from Paramaribo. I have seen the following material: I. Wageningen, northern Nickerie District, i male (no. 24719, skin and skull). 2. Highway between Paramaribo and Uitkijk at Vijfde Rijweg, Suriname District, 1 female (no. 17296, skin and skull). 3. Plantation "Meerzorg", east bank of Suriname River opposite Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 male (no. 24718, skin and skull), 2 females (nos. 24720, 24722, skins and skulls). 4. Tamanredjo, about 17 km due east of Paramaribo, Commewijne District, 1 male (no. 24721, skin and skull). 5. Suriname, without a more accurate locality indication, 1 male (no. 24688, skin and skull). Description. — Length of forearm varying from (54) 60 to 68.7 mm; ears large, narrow and pointed; tragus small, with prominent tooth-like processes; chin with raised cutaneous ridges; interfemoral membrane large, when stretched expanding slightly behind the toes; tail short, perforating the basal third of the membrane and appearing on its dorsal surface; calcar long, about 1.5 times the length of the tibia, the free margin of the interfemoral membrane very short; wing membrane from the distal third of the tibia; combined length of the tibia and hind foot less than 70 per cent the length of the forearm; fui very short above and beneath, narrowing on the back from behind the shoulders to the tail where its breadth is about 15 mm; colour greatly varying, above as well as beneath, from greyish brown to reddish brown dorsally, and from whitish to grey and yellowish to dark orange ventrally; CHIROPTERA 73 on the back a whitish median streak from interscapular region to the tail, this streak often indistinct or absent; membranes blackish. Dentition: I f, C1, P M §. Upper inner incisors placed close together, in contact at about the middle, the distal part of their inner margins diverging. Upper outer incisors strikingly smaller than the inner, placed somewhat behind the inner and in contact with them, but distinctly separated from the canines; upper premolar, about as high as the molars, but about half as long, crowded between canine and first molar. Lower incisors crowded between the canines, with broad bifid crown, reaching to the inner margin of the cingulum of the canines; first lower premolar crowded out of the tooth-row to the inside, so that the second premolar and the canine are almost in contact with each other; base of first premolar about half as long as that of the second, the latter tooth being about as high as the molars. External and skull measurements of the examined female Suriname specimen. Forearm, 64.9; length of third metacarpal, 57; first phalanx, 13.5; second phalanx, 55; length of fourth metacarpal, 58.5; first phalanx, 9; second phalanx, 28; length of fifth metacarpal, 53.5; first phalanx, 10.5; second phalanx, 5; length of ear, 20.5; tibia, 20; hind foot, 16; depth of interfemoral membrane from anus, about 38; calcar, 30; tail, 15.5; free end of tail, 2.5 mm. — Skull: greatest length, 21.2; condylobasal length, 19.6; condyle to front of canine, 18.4; basal length, 17.1; palatal length, 9.8; zygomatic breadth, 15.8; breadth of braincase, n. 7; height of braincase, without crest, 8.6; mastoid breadth, 14.0; interorbital constriction, 5.8; width across molars, 10.1; width across cingula canines, 6.9; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 7.9; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 8.4; length of mandible, 14.2 mm. Remarks. — Husson (1962:64, 65) dealt with the colour of the two then known Suriname specimens, and discussed the food and biology of the species, its taxonomic status and its nomenclature. Noctilio leporinus leporinus (Linnaeus, 1758) Text-figs. 8e (interfemoral membrane), 13d (canines and incisors), 14 (animal), i5g (head), pi. 17 (skull) Vespertilio leporinus Linnaeus, 1758, Systema Naturae, (ed. 10) 1: 32 Type locality. — "Habitat in America". Restricted by Thomas (1911: 131) to Suriname. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 56; Husson, 1962: 65 Vernacular names. — (E) Suriname Fish-eating Bat; (N) Hazemond Vleermuis. Distribution. — Noctilio leporinus has a wide range of distribution extending from north-eastern Argentina, Paraguay, and south-eastern Brazil northwards to southern Mexico, and the Lesser and Greater Antilles. The status of the four recognized sub- species is not clear, but it is generally assumed that the nominate subspecies occurs in Brazil north of the Mato Grosso and Minas Geraes, in Peru, Colombia, the Guianas, Venezuela, Curasao, Trinidad, Tobago and the Lesser Antilles. CHIROPTERA 74 Occurrence in Suriname. — As far as is known to me Fermin (1765: 9) was the first author who definitely mentioned the occurrence of the present species in Suriname, giving it the (unavailable) scientific name Vespertilio Minor. Later popular authors (Hartsinck, 1770; Teenstra, 1835; Lammens, 1844) added little or no new information, while Jentink (1887, 1888) and Goodwin (1928) dealt with museum specimens labelled "Surinam" (see Husson, 1962. 65-73, for more information on these records). The first author who reported the species from definite localities within Suriname was Husson (1962: 66), his material is that listed below under nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6. Until now I have examined the following Suriname specimens: x. Wageningen, northern Nickerie District, 3 females (nos. 24896-24898, skins and skulls). 2. Karel Franfois on the Saramacca River about 80 km west of Paramaribo, Saramacca District, 1 male (no. 13489, skin and skull). 3. Kampongbaroe about 25 km west of Paramaribo, south-west of Uitkijk, Saramacca District, 1 female (no. 17368, skin and skull). 4. Weg naar Zee, near the sea-shore north of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 1 female (no. 24895, skin and skull). 5. Paramaribo, Suriname District, 3 females (nos. 12002, 12003, 13502, skins and skulls). 6. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 8 males (nos. 13490, 13494, 13503, 17376a, b, SMN no. 238-2, ZMA no. 1643b, c, skins and skulls), 3 females (SMN no. 238-1, ZMA no. 1643a, d, skins and skulls), 2 skeletons (no. 17375a, b). Description. — Length of forearm varying from 77 to 85 mm; ears large, narrow and pointed, about 24 mm long and 10 mm broad; tragus small, with prominent tooth-like processes; chin with raised transverse cutaneous ridges; interfemoral membrane well-developed, when stretched expanding behind the ankles; tail short, not exceeding half the length of the interfemoral membrane, perforating it and appearing for about 4 mm on its dorsal surface; calcar distinctly longer than the tibia, the free margin of the interfemoral membrane short, at most half as long as the calcar; wing membrane from the distal third of the tibia and from the back; combined length of the tibia and hind foot more than 70 per cent of the length of the forearm; fur very short, above and beneath, narrowing on the back from behind the shoulders to the tail where its breadth is about 10 to 15 mm; colour greatly varying, above as well as beneath, from dark to reddish brown dorsally, and from yellowish to bright reddish orange ventrally; an indistinct whitish median dorsal streak extends from the shoulders to the tail, but may be absent; membranes blackish or dark brown, the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane is much lighter than its dorsal surface, being often yellowish. Dentition: If, C f, P M §. Teeth essentially like in Noctilio labialis, the most striking difference, at least in the examined specimens from Suriname, is that in N. leporinus the upper molars are separated postero-internally by wide spaces, while in the one examined specimen of N. labialis the molars touch each other nearly over their full breadth. Sagittal crest sharply defined, in adult males it is more developed than in adult females, in the former being about to 2.5 mm high. The external and skull measurements of eleven Suriname specimens are given in Table 9. CHIROPTERA 75 Fig. 14. Noctilio leporinus leporinus (L.), after Seba, 1734. 76 CHIROPTERA Remarks. — Husson (1962: 70, 71) discussed the variation and systematic position of the species. The food of the species consists of insects and fish. From its habit of eating fishes the English vernacular name is derived. Goodwin (1928: in) found in the stomach of a specimen from Suriname "Remains of many ants ( Solenopsis sp.), winged. Fragments of a beetle (probably Crysomelidae), of a mole-cricket ( Gryllotalpa sp.), of a fly (Sapromyzidae), and of a fish-trace". The brothers Penard ("De Surinamer", 12 April 1905) indicate that the present species is found in and around Paramaribo, and that it has a strong and peculiar odour. The unpleasant odour of the species has also been mentioned by previous authors, like Lammens, 1884 and Spix, 1823 (cf. Husson, 1962: 72, 73). Dr. D. C. Geijskes provided me with the following observation, which he is con- vinced concerns the present species: On a mud bank off Coppename Punt near the TABLE 9 External and skull measurements of eleven specimens of Noctilio leporinus leporinus (Linnaeus) from Suriname. Museum RMNH ZMA ZMA SMN RMNH ZMA RMNH ZMA RMNH SMN RMNH Reg. number 13503 1643c 1643b 238,2 13490 1643d 17368 1643a 12003 238,1 12002 Sex 6666 <J 9 9 9 9 9 9 Forearm 77.3 78,8 77.7 80.0 81.2 79.3 82.1 78.5 80.0 80.0 78.8 Third digit, metacarpal 73 74 74.5 75 75.5 72 75 74 75 74 72 1st phalanx 19 20 18 20 20 20 20.5 20 18 20 18 2nd phalanx 64 68 68 67 68 65 68 66 65 65 63 Fourth digit, metacarpal 73.5 75.5 74.5 76 76.5 73.5 76 75.5 74 75 73.5 1st phalanx 13.5 13 14 13 13 14 12.5' 13 12 13 11.5 2nd phalanx 35 34 35 35 35 34 35 35 31 37 32 Fifth digit, metacarpal 71 72.5 71.5 73 73 69.5 73 72.5 72 72 70 1st phalanx 16.5 15 16 16 16 16 16 16 15 16 14.5 2nd phalanx 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 9 8 Ear, length x breadth 24x10.5 24x10.5 24x- 24x- 24x9.5 - 24x9 - - 24x- - Tibia 36 36 36 37 36 37 35 34 36 35 36 Hind foot; with claws 27 28 28 26 28 27 26 25 26 27 26 Calcar 40 40 37 45 38 40 40 39 - 40 - Skull: greatest length 23.3 24.5 24.7 26.1 26.2 - 24.1 24.4 24.6 24.7 24.9 condolybasal length 22.8 23.5 23.0 23.5 23.7 22.0 22.7 22.4 22.6 23.2 22.8 condyle to front of canine 21.9 22.3 22.3 22.4 22.5 20.7 21.3 21.5 21.4 22.2 21.7 basal length 20.1 20.4 20.1 21.0 20.9 19.3 19.5 19.5 20.3 20.4 20.4 palatal length 11.7 12.4 12.4 12.8 12.6 11.2 12.1 12.3 12.5 12.4 12.6 zygomatic breadth 17.0 18.3 19.1 19.0 18.5 16.8 17.8 18.0 18.3 17.6 18.3 breadth of braincase 12.7' 13.4 13.9 13.5 13.5 13.0 13.5 13.5 13.5 13.4 13.4 height of braincase, without crest 9.7 9.7 10.3 10.2 10.2 9.9 9.8 9.8 10.3 10.4 10.4 with crest 10.0 10.7 11.3 12.5 12.5 10.1 10.5 11.0 11.0 11.3 11.6 mastoid breadth 14.9 - - 17.0 18.4 - 15.3 15.9 16.0 15.1 16.0 interorbital constriction 6.9 6.8 6.8 7.0 7.2 6.7 6.5 6.6 6.8 6.7 6.6 width across molars 11.9 11.9 12.5 - 12.3 - 11.8 11.7 12.0 ' 12.2 12.1 width across cingula canines 8.5 8.4 8.5 9.3 9.5 8.0 8.3 8.1 7.8 8.2 8.2 upper tooth-row, c - m 10.3 10.3 10.5 10.4 10.5 9.9 9.9 10.1 10.0 10.2 10.1 lower tooth-row, c - m^ 10.9 10.9 11.1 10.9 11.3 10.6 10.5 10.5 10.5 10.8 10.5 length of mandible 17.4 17.6 17.8 18.0 18.3 17.1 17.3 17.0 17.6 17.5 17.3 CHIROPTERA 77 mouth of the Coppename River, fishermen put up nets, behind which, with falling tide fishes and shrimps are caught. At day break, waiting in a fishermen's boat for the tide to be low enough that the fish caught behind the nets could be collected, Dr. Geijskes observed a great number of fairly large bats, which flew very low over the water and obviously caught fishes or shrimps, which had concentrated behind the nets. This phenomenon started when it was hardly light enough to see, and lasted for about half an hour, ending abruptly when the daylight was quite bright. The fishing habit of the species thus is not confined to fresh waters, but is also carried out at sea, if conditions permit the animals to do so. FAMILY PHYLLOSTOMIDAE With the exception of the species of the subfamily Chilonycterinae all Suriname Phyllostomidae can immediately be recognized (i) by the presence of a distinct nose leaf of which the vertical, free portion is lancet-shaped, and (2) by the lower lip, which is provided with small wart-like outgrowths arranged in a more or less semi- circular manner. In the genus Chilonycteris (Chilonycterinae) there is no distinct nose leaf, and the lower lip shows plate-like outgrowths with numerous small rounded papillae (fig. i6e). All species of the Suriname Phyllostomidae have the third digit with three pha- langes, while in the skull the premaxillaries are fused with each other as well as with the maxillaries, so that the upper incisors are not separated by an anterior palatal emargination (fig. 22). The above mentioned characters are characteristic for the family as a whole. The most important characters for the distinction of the species within the group are the following: (i) the development of the interfemoral membrane, (2) that of the tail and the calcaneum, (3) the attachment of the wing membranes, and (4) the structure of the teeth. To the Phyllostomidae belong both the smallest and the largest of the Suriname bats, namely Ametrida centurio, in the males of which the length of the forearm is about 25 mm, and Vampyrum spectrum, of which this length is about 105 mm. The Suriname Phyllostomidae belong to six subfamilies, the main characters of which are given in the following key. Key to the subfamilies of the Suriname Phyllostomidae ia. Nose leaf absent, lower lip with plate-like outgrowths with numerous small rounded papillae (fig. i6e) Chilonycterinae, p. 78 b. Nose leaf present, with a distinct vertical, free portion 2 2a. Tongue very long (fig. 26); upper surface of lower lip in the centre divided by a deep groove (fig. 2ig); head long and narrow; cusps and commissures of upper molars so reduced that the W-pattern is absent . . . Glossophaginae, p. 113 b. Tongue normal; upper surface of lower lip not divided by a deep groove . . 3 78 CHIROPTERA 3a. Interfemoral membrane reduced to a very narrow band along the legs and the posterior part of the body (fig. 8h), covered with fine long fur; calcar indistinct (or absent ?); crown of molars with a distinct longitudinal groove (pi. 28 lower figs.) Sturnirinae, p. 134 b. Interfemoral membrane moderately to largely developed; calcar distinct; tail present or absent 4 4a. External tail absent or hardly visible 5 b. Tail distinct 8 5a. Muzzle long and narrow (fig. i6h); length of forearm more than 70 mm . . . Phyllostominae (genera Vampyrum and Chrotopterus), p. 80 b. Muzzle short and broad 6a. Length of forearm more than 40 mm Stenodermatinae, p. 138 b. Length of forearm less than 40 mm 7 7a. Lower lip with a central wart flanked on each side by a larger elongate wart (fig. 21c); length of forearm varying from about 30 to 35 mm 6 Carolliinae (genus Rhinophylla), p. 126 b. Lower lip with a central wart surrounded by a row of small warts Stenodermatinae, p. 138 8a. Calcar shorter than the foot; length of forearm varying from 40 to 45 mm; zygomatic arches incomplete Carolliinae (genus Carollia), p. 126 b. Calcar equal to or longer than the foot, if shorter (except Vampyrum and Chro- topterus) the length of forearm more than 50 mm . . Phyllostominae, p. 80 Subfamily CHILONYCTERINAE The species of the subfamily Chilonycterinae differ from all other Phyllostomidae by the presence of plate-like outgrowths on the lower lip and by the absence of a distinct nose leaf. In the only species of this group known at present from Suriname, Chilonycteris rubiginosa Wagner, the lower lip is much expanded and folded outward with numerous rounded small papillae. Perhaps also the genus Pteronotus occurs in Suriname; this genus has a wide distribution in northern South America north of the Mato Grosso. The two known species of Pteronotus can immediately be recognized by the attach- ment of the wings to the median line of the dorsal surface of the body instead of to the sides of the body; in this manner the wings cover the fur so that the upper part of the body appears to be naked below the shoulders. Chilonycteris rubiginosa rubiginosa Wagner, 1843 Text-figs. 8f (interfemoral membrane), i6e (head), 22b (canines and incisors), pi. 28 (skull) Chilonycteris rubiginosa Wagner, 1843, Archiv Naturgeschichte, 9 (1): 367. Type locality. — "Caigara, Mato Grosso, Brazil". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 58; Husson, 1962: 74. Vernacular names. — (E) Leaf-chinned Bat. CHIROPTERA 79 6 Distribution. — The species has a wide range of distribution on the mainland of South and Central America, from the Mato Grosso, Brazil, north to Mexico. The nominate subspecies inhabits Brazil and the Guianas. Occurrence in Suriname. — So far only one specimen of this species is known from Suriname, it is a female (no. 16420, skin and skull) found in 1958 by Dr. D. C. Geijskes in the Anton van Aerde Cave at the Tafelberg Mountain in the south- western Brokopondo District. The species was found there together with specimens of Anoura geoffroyi Gray (see p. 123). Geijskes (1959: 44, 47-48) decribed the cave and the collecting of these bats. The specimen has already been mentioned by Husson (1962: 22, 74). Description. — Length of forearm varying from 59 to 64 mm; nose leaf absent; lower lip covered with prominent, wart-like papillae; ears abruptly attenuated above, about 20 mm in length; tragus about one-third of ear-length; length of the first phalanx of the third finger about one-fifth the length of the third metacarpal; inter- femoral membrane well developed, reaching about the bases of the toes; calcar about as long as the tibia; tail perforating the interfemoral membrane, and projecting for about half its length on the dorsal surface; wing membrane from the inner side of the lower third of the tibia and from the calcar. Two colour phases occur: a bright reddish brown and a more greyish phase, the ventral surface being always somewhat lighter. Dental formula: 1§, C P §, M §. The upper incisors, completely fill the space between the canines; the middle incisors, much larger than the outer, are bifid; the first upper premolar, much smaller than the second, stands perfectly in the tooth- row. The lower incisors are about equal in size, their cutting edges are trifid; the first and the third lower premolars are of about equal size; the first premolar is in contact with the canine as well as with the third premolar, while the small middle premolar is crowded out of the tooth-row on the lingual side. External and skull measurements of the examined Suriname female specimen. Forearm, 63.3; length of third metacarpal, 55; first phalanx, n; second phalanx, 17.5; length of fourth metacarpal, 52.5; first phalanx, 12; second phalanx, 15; length of fifth metacarpal, 51.5; first phalanx, 12; second phalanx, 14; length of ear, 20; tibia, 25; hind foot, 12.5; calcar, 25 mm. — Skull: greatest length, 22.1; condylobasal length, 21.1; condyle to front of canine, 20.5; basal length 19.7; palatal length, 10.9; zygomatic breadth, 12.6; breadth of braincase, 10.7; height of brain- case, 8.9; mastoid breadth, 11.8; interorbital constriction, 4.6; width across molars, 8.3; width across cingula canines, 6.2; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 9.5; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 10.2; length of mandible, 16.1 mm. The examined Suriname specimen of Chilonycteris has the hairs of the upper parts uniformly bright reddish brown with a golden tinge; the hairs of the under parts are darker brown without a golden tinge, while their tips are somewhat lighter. The length of the forearm of this specimen being 63.3 mm, it belongs to Ch. rubiginosa rubiginosa. The coat colour as well as the dimensions of the Suriname specimen agree 80 CHIROPTERA very well with those given by J. A. Allen (1911: 261-263) f° r specimens from El Callao, eastern Venezuela south of the Orinoco, which Allen considered to belong to Ch. rubiginosa. Remarks. — The taxonomic status of the present species has been discussed by Husson (1962: 75, 76). It is possible that a second species of the genus Chilonycteris occurs in Suriname, namely C. personata Wagner. This species resembles C. rubiginosa in a very striking way, but in all its dimensions it is much smaller. The forearm is said to vary from 41 to 47 mm in C. personata. Subfamily PHYLLOSTOMINAE The main character by which the Phyllostominae differ from all other Phyllosto- mid bats (except the Chilonycterinae) is that of the structure of the molars, of which the cusps and commissures are never so reduced that the W-pattern is not evident (see Miller, 1907: 118, 122-123). In all species the nose leaf as well as the interfemoral membranes are well developed, but there are considerable differences among the various species in the extent of the tail and the length of the calcar; the attachment of the wings also may be widely different in different species (fig. 2oa-e). In the collections of Suriname bats examined by me twelve species of Phyllosto- minae are represented; no other species of this subfamily have been reported from Suriname in the literature studied. However, considering the distribution of the Neotropical Phyllostominae, it would be not surprising if the following species not yet reported from Suriname would actually occur there; Lonchorhina aurita Tomes (text-figs. 17a, 18b, 20c), Phyllostomus latifolius Thomas, Phylloderma stenops Peters (pi. 22, text-figs. 2od, 23d), Tonatia bidens (Spix), and Chrotopterus auritus guianae Thomas (text-figs. 17c, 18a, 20b). For this reason these species are included in the following key. Since Tonatia bidens and Phyllostomus latifolius are closely related to Tonatia silvicola laephotis and Phyllostomus elongatus, respectively, some remarks on the former species are given under the latter. Key to the Suriname Phyllostominae ia. External tail absent or rudimentary; length of forearm more than 70 mm 2 b. Tail present; in most species the length of the forearm is less than 70 mm. . 3 2a. Two lower incisors (fig. 17c); tail rudimentary, may be discerned with some difficulty; length of forearm varying from 77 to 83 mm; wings from the base of the outer toe; fur long and soft; dorsal surface dark brown, ventral surface greyish; wing membranes dark brown, the ends being broadly white Chrotopterus auritus guianae Thomas b. Four lower incisors (fig. 24a); no external tail; length of forearm about 105 mm Vampyrum spectrum, p. 107 3a. Tail enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, extending to the posterior border 4 81 CHIROPTERA b. Tail short, but distinct, enclosed in the interfemoral membrane, reaching the mid- dle of the membrane or reaching less far; in some species the membrane is perfo- rated by the tail, the extreme tip of the tail appearing free on the dorsal surface 5 4a. Length of forearm varying from 34 to 39 mm; the distal part of the ventral surface of the interfemoral membrane with peculiar dermal denticles which are arranged longitudinally in more or less parallel rows; wing membrane from the distal half of the tibia; calcar of about the same length as the tibia (fig. 20a); fur rather long and soft; dorsal surface sooty brown, ventral surface a shade paler Macrophyllum macrophyllum, p. 86 Artibeus lituratus fallax Macrophyllum macrophyllum (Wied), BMNH no. 3.10.1.94; b, Fig. 15. a, Peters, no. 17384; c, Vampyrops helleri Peters, no. 17372; d, Artibeus cinereus cinereus Chiroderma villosum villosum Peters, SMN no. 450; f, Uroderma bilobatum bilobatum (Gervais), SMN no. 861; e, Peters, no. 13079; g, Noctilio labialis albiventris Noctilio leporinus leporinus (L.), no. 13503; h, Desmarest, no. 17271. 82 CHIROPTERA b. Length of forearm varying from 47 to 52 mm; calcar about two-thirds the length of the tibia; wing membrane sheathing the extremity of the tibia and arising from the proximal extremity of the calcar (fig. 20c); nose leaf long and slender (fig. 18b); dorsal surface dark brown, ventral surface a shade paler . . Lonchorhina aurita Tomes 5a. Two lower incisors 6 b. Four lower incisors 10 6a. Ears connected by a low band across the forehead 7 b. Ears not connected by a low band across the forehead 8 7a. Length of forearm varying from 53 to 59 mm Tonatia silvicola laephotis, p. 89 b. Length of forearm about 45 mm Tonatia carrikeri, p. 88 8a. Wing membranes from the ankles; length of forearm varying from 51 to 53 mm Mimon bennettii, p. 91 b. Wing membranes from the side of the hind feet near the base of the outer toe 9 9a. Nose leaf with margin of the lancet finely crenulate (fig. 2ia), fringed with straight hairs; length of forearm varying from 45 to 51 mm Anthorhina crenulata, P- 95 b. Nose leaf with margin of the lancet entire; length of forearm varying from about 55 to 59 mm (see page 91) Tonatia bidens (Spix) ioa. Length of forearm less than 50 mm n b. Length of forearm more than 50 mm 12 na. Length of forearm varying from 31.8 to 36.2 mm; ears connected by a low band across the forehead (fig. 16a); first phalanx and second phalanx of the third digit of about equal length Micronycteris megalotis megalotis, p. 83 b. Length of forearm about 40 mm; ears not connected by a low band across the forehead; first phalanx of third digit much shorter than the second phalanx, being about 14 and 18 mm, respectively. . . Micronycteris brachyotis, p- 85 12a. Nose leaf with the margin of the lancet finely toothed (fig. 2if) Trachops cirrhosus cirrhosus, p. 105 b. Nose leaf with the margin of the lancet entire 13 13a. Calcar distinctly shorter than the hind foot 14 b. Calcar about as long as or longer than the hind foot 15 14a. Length of forearm varying from 67 to 70 mm; wing membrane from the side of the hind foot (fig. 2od) Phylloderma stenops Peters b. Length of forearm varying from about 55 to 65 mm; wing membranes from the ankles (fig. 2oe) Phyllostomus discolor discolor, P- 97 15a. Length of forearm varying from 79 to 88 mm; nose leaf shorter than the hind foot Phyllostomus hastatus hastatus, p. 102 b. Length of forearm less than 75 mm 16 83 CHIROPTERA 16a. Length of forearm varying from 62 to 68 mm; length of tibia from 24 to 30 mm Phyllostomus elongatus, p. 99 b. Length of forearm varying from 58 to 60 mm; length of tibia from 21 to 23 mm (see pages 100 and 101) Phyllostomus latifolius Thomas Micronycteris megalotis megalotis (Gray, 1942) Text-figs. 16a (head), 19a (interfemoral membrane), 22c (canines and incisors), pi. 20 (skull) Phyllophora megalotis Gray, 1842, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (1) 10: 257 Type locality. — "Brazils". Restricted by Cabrera (1958:60) to Pereque, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 59; Husson, 1962: 80 Vernacular names. — (E) Little Big-eared Bat. Distribution. — The range of the species extends from southern Brazil and Peru to southern Mexico. The nominate subspecies occurs from southern Brazil and Peru north to the Guianas, Colombia, Venezuela and the islands of Trinidad and Tobago. Occurrence in Suriname. — The first record of the species from Suriname was by Kappler (1881: 163). The first accurate localities within Suriname were provided by Husson (1962: 81), who reported on the following material: 1. Plantation "Kwatta" near 2e Rijweg, west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 2 males (nos. 17295, 17367, skins and skulls). 2. Paramaribo, Suriname District, 2 males (no. 15904, ZMA no. 1629, skins and skulls). 3. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 8 males (no. 15904, ZMB nos. 3222a, d, e, 3353b, 4265a-c, skins and skulls), 6 females (SMN no. 1408, ZMB nos. 3222b, c, 3353a, 4263d, e, skins and skulls). No new material has been examined by me. Description. — Length of the forearm varying from 31.8 to 36.2 mm; third meta- carpal shortest, fifth longest; first phalanx of third digit about as long as second phalanx; nose leaf small, but distinct, lancet up to 7.8 mm long and 5.2 mm broad; ears large and rounded, up to 18 mm long and 15.5 mm broad, connected by a band across the forehead, this band shallowly notched in the centre, tragus small; inter- femoral membrane well developed, when stretched its posterior margin extending to the level of the ankles; calcar longer than hind foot with claws, but shorter than tibia; tail reaching almost the middle of the membrane, its extreme tip appearing on the dorsal surface of the membrane; wing membrane from the ankles; fur dense and soft, extending on the upper arm, but hardly on the almost wholly naked mem- branes ; dorsal surface of body dark brown, bases of hairs usually pure white; ventral surface of about the same brown colour as dorsal surface, but hairs uniformly coloured; membranes dark to blackish brown. Dental formula: If, C P |, M §. Upper incisors completely filling the space between the canines, the inner about half as high as the canines, the outer minute, scarcely exceeding the cingulum of the inner; inner lower incisors at base distinctly separated, but in contact with each other in the middle, the tips slightly diverging; cutting edge of the inner incisor notched near the outer side, forming two unequal lobes; first and second upper premolars subequal in size and height, about half as 84 CHIROPTERA high as canine. Lower incisors forming a continuous semicircular row between the canines, their cutting edges faintly bifid; first lower premolar distinctly larger and higher than second and third premolars, the latter two are subequal in height; the base of the middle premolar is slightly shorter than that of the last premolar, which is often a trifle higher than the second; the three lower premolars stand perfectly in the tooth-row, touching each other, the anterior premolar touches the canine, and the posterior premolar is in contact with the first molar. The external and skull measurements of nine of the examined specimens are given in Table 10. Remarks. — The specimens from Kwatta were found in a barn. Fig. 16. a, Micronycteris megalotis megalotis (Gray), no. 17367; b, Phyllostomus elongatus (J. A. Allen), ZMB no. 4334; d, (E. Geoffroy), ZMB no. 3217; c, Tonatia carrikeri Phyllostomus discolor discolor (Wagner), ZMB no. A1838; e, Chilonycteris rubiginosa rubiginosa Wagner, no. 16420; f, Tonatia silvicola laephotis Thomas, no. 15786; g, Phyllostomus hastatus hastatus (Pallas), SMN no. 240; h, (L.), no. 15909. Vampyrum spectrum 85 CHIROPTERA Micronycteris brachyotis (Dobson, 1879) Schizostoma brachyote Dobson, 1879, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1878: 880, Type locality. — "Cayenne", Guyane. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 62. Vernacular names. — (E) Yellow-throated Bat. Distribution. — The Guianas. Occurrence in Suriname. — Husson (1962: 83) suggested the possible occurrence of this species in Suriname, but at that time no Suriname specimens of it were known. Since then, however, I have received from Dr. F. Lukoschus, 6 males collected at Gros, on the railroad from Paramaribo into the interior, about 100 km S. of Para- maribo, Brokopondo District (nos. 24988-24992, skins and skulls). Description.—This species is very close to Micronycteris megalotis, but may immediatly be distinguished by the following characters: (i) in the present specimens the length of the forearm is 40.2 to 42.9 mm (40.5 mm in the type), while in M. TABLE 10 External and skull measurements of nine specimens of Micronycteris megalotis megalotis (Gray) from Suriname. Museum RMNH ZMA ZMB ZMB ZMB ZMB ZMB ZMB ZMB Reg. number 17295 1629 4265b 3222a 4265a 4265c 3222b 3222c 4265e Sex 6666669 9 9 Forearm 35.7 34.5 31.1 31.4 33.0 34.4 34.9 33.0 35.0 Th'ird digit, metacarpal 30 29 26 26.3 27.5 28.5 29 27 29.5 1st phalanx 13 14 11.5 11.5 11.5 12.5 13 11.5 13.5 2nd phalanx 13 14 11 11.5 11.5 14 13 12 14.5 3rd phalanx 9 9.5 9 8 10 9.5 8.5 9 9.5 Fourth digit, metacarpal 30 29.5 26.5 26.5 28 29.5 29.5 27.5 30 1st phalanx 10.5 10 9 9 9 9.5 10 9.5 10.5 2nd phalanx 9 9 9 8.5 8 10 9 9.5 10 Fifth digit, metacarpal 31 31 27.5 26.8 29 30 30.3 28 30.5 1st phalanx 10.5 11 9 9.5 9.5 10 10.5 9.5 11 2nd phalanx 9 9 9.5 9 10 10.5 9.5 9 9.5 Tibia 15.5 15 15 15 15.5 15 15 15 15 Hind foot 9.5 9 9 9 9.5 10 9 9.5 9 Calcar 10.8 10.5 9.5 9 10 10.5 10 9 10 Skull: greatest length 18.5 18.6 17.1 17.1 17.7 17.3 17.5 17.5 17.3 condylobasal length 16.6 16.3 15.2 15.0 15.5 " 15.3 15.5 - condyle to front of canine 16.2 16.2 J5.0 14.6 15.2 - 15.1 15.2 - basal length 14.5 14.0 12.8 13.0 13.2 - 13.3 13.3 - palatal length 8.5 8.5 7.3 7.3 7.4 " 7.9 7.9 - zygomatic breadth " 9.2 8.2 8.5 8.7 - 9.0 - 8.7 breadth of braincase 7.7 7.6 7.0 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.4 7.3 - height of braincase 7.3 7.4 6.8 7.1 7.0 - 7.1 7.0 - mastoid breadth 8.5 " 7.8 8.1 8.1 8.1 8.5 8.0 - postorbital constriction 4.1 4.2 3.7 3.8 3.9 4.1 4.0 3.9 4.0 width across molars 6.3 6.0 5.6 5.6 5.9 6.1 5.8 5.7 5.8 width across cingula canines 3.3 3.2 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 2.9 2.9 3.0 3 upper tooth-row, c - m 7.1 7.2 6.6 6.4 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.5 lower tooth-row, c - m^ 7.6 7.7 7.1 6.9 7.1 7.1 7.3 7.0 7.r length of mandible 12.1 11.9 11.0 10.7 11.2 11.5 11.3 11.3 11.3 86 CHIROPTERA megalotis it is at most 36.5 mm, (2) no transverse band connects the ears across the forehead, (3) the fourth metacarpal is shortest, the third and fifth are about equal in length, while the second phalanx of the third digit (about 17.8 mm in the type) is considerably longer than the first, which is about 14 mm in the type. Remarks. — The Gros specimens were collected in an old goldmine in the savanna area. Macrophyllum macrophyllum (Schinz, 1821) Text-figs. 15a (head), 17b (canines and incisors), 20a (interfemoral membrane) Phyllostoma macrophyllum Schinz, 1821, in Cuvier, Thierreich, (ed. 1): 163. Type locality. — "In den Waldern von Brasilien". The actual type locality is "am Flusse Mucuri”, Minas Geraes, Brazil, where the holotype was collected by Prince Maximilian von Wied-Neuwied (Wied, 1826: 192). Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 63. Vernacular names. — (E) Long-legged Bat Distribution. — Northern South America from Minas Geraes (E. Brazil) and Colombia north to Panama. Occurrence in Suriname. — Although Husson (1962: 78) mentioned the likelihood that the present species would be found in Suriname, at that time no specimens were known from that country. Only after the publication of my 1962 paper I received Suriname material of Macrophyllum macrophyllum, and therefore the species was entered in my checklist (1973 : 6). The following Suriname specimens were collected by Dr. G. F. Mees in 1965 and 1966 (lots 2-4) and Dr. F. Lukoschus in 1971 (lot 1), and have been examined by me: I. Santo Boma locks, about 12 km south-west of Paramaribo, Suriname District, 3 males (nos. 24901, 24904, 24905, skins and skulls), 7 females (nos. 24899, 24900, 24903, 24906-24908, skins and skulls). 2. Highway between Paramaribo and Afobaka about 6 km south of Kralca, and 66 km south of Paramaribo, Brokopondo District, 4 specimens (nos. 25186-25189, skins and skulls). 3. Plantation "Berg en Dal", west bank of Suriname River, about 75 km south of Para- maribo, 1 male, 3 females (no. 19651, skins and skulls). 4. Brownsweg, north-west corner of Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, 1 male, 13 females (no. 19652, skins and skulls). Description. — The species can be distinguished by the characters given in the key (pp. 80-83). In the present material the length of the forearm varies from 34.4 to 36.5 mm in the males, and from 36.0 to 38.3 mm in the females. Remarks. — Cabrera (1958: 63) cited the author's name of the present species as "(Wied)", and referred to "Wied, en Schinz, Thierr., x, 1821: 163". As nowhere in Schinz's (1821) German revision of Cuvier's Regne Animal there is an indication that Prince Maximilian von Wied-Neuwied "is alone responsible both for the name and the conditions that make it available" (International Code of Zoological Nomencla- ture, Art. 50), Schinz has to be cited as the author of the name P. macrophyllum and 87 CHIROPTERA of several other names assigned to Wied. The indication "P.Max." after the name "Phyllost. macrophyllum" by Schinz is not sufficient to make Wied the author of that name: Prince Maximilian may have been responsible for the name (and he most likely was), but there is no indication whatever that he also was responsible for the description. The specimens from lots 2, 3 and 4 all were found in culverts under highways. Fig. 17. Canines and incisors in front view. a, Lonchorhina aurita Macro- phyllum macrophyllum Tomes, no 16844; b, Thomas, no. 5001. Width across cingula canines, in mm: a, 4.5; b, 3.5; c, 7.7. (Wied), BMNH no. 11.4.28.7; c, Chrotopterus auritus guianae 88 CHIROPTERA Tonatia carrikeri (J. A. Allen, 1910) Text-figs. 16c (head), 19b (interfemoral membrane), pi. 18 (skull) Chrotopterus carrikeri J. A. Allen, 1910, Bull. American Mus. Nat. Hist., 28: 147-148 Type locality. — "Rio Mocho, Venezuela". Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 64; Husson, 1962: 89 Vernacular names. — (E) Allen's Round-eared Bat. Distribution. — The species is only known from Venezuela and Suriname. Occurrence in Suriname. — Husson (1962) reported the species for the first time from Suriname. His record was based 011 a male from Suriname, without more precise locality indication (ZMB no. 4234, skin and skull). No other Suriname specimens are known to me, Description. — The following description is based on the examined Suriname specimen. Length of forearm, 44.6 mm; ears longer than the head, united by a low band across the forehead with a shallow notch in the centre; tragus attenuated, bidentate, the projection of the inner margin below the middle, that of the outer margin more near the base; nose leaf well developed, about 9 mm high and 6 mm broad; margin of the upper lip entire, warts of the lower lip vague; calcar well developed, somewhat larger than the hind foot, about equal in length to the free margin of the interfemoral membrane; the tail, from anus about 10.5 mm long, is enclosed in the basal part of the membrane, ending at about one-fourth of the length of the membrane; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched reaching to about the level of the metatarsus; wing membrane starting from the dorsal surface of the hind foot near the base of the outer toe. The Suriname specimen, which has been preserved for about a hundred years, is too bleached by the action of the preservative to give a correct idea of the original coat colour; so the head and wings are practically white. Goodwin (1942: 207) des- cribed the colour as follows: "General color of upperparts Mummy brown, the hairs finely tipped with pale buff, extreme base of fur white; underparts pure white to Lonchorhina aurita Fig. 18. a, Chrotopterus auritus guianae Thomas, ZMA no. 1622; b, Tomes, no. 16844. 89 CHIROPTERA roots of hair except on chin and sides of abdomen". In the original description J. A. Allen (19x0: 147) noted: "... nose, chin and a broad band passing below the base of the ears blackish brown; throat, breast, and middle of abdomen pure white; sides and anal region greyish brown, restricting the white to the median ventral area; membranes very dark brown or black". The fur consists of very soft hairs, extending above and below over the proximal two-thirds of the humerus. Dental formula: I f, C i, P §. M §, The skull and teeth show all essential characters given by Miller (1907a: 128-129) f° r the genus Tonatia. However, the palate ends on a line connecting the posterior borders of the second molars, and the small middle lower premolar, crowded between the first and third premolars, stands perfectly in the tooth-row, being much wider than long. The sagittal crest is sharply defined from the middle of the relatively narrow postorbital constriction to the basioccipital, this constriction is narrower than the width across the cingula of the canines. External and skull measurements of the Suriname specimen. Forearm, 44.6; length of third metacarpal, 37.5; first phalanx, 15; second phalanx, 19; third phalanx, 10; length of fourth metacarpal, 38.5; first phalanx, 15; second phalanx, 15; length of fifth metacarpal, 40.5; first phalanx, 15.5; second phalanx, 17; ear, from meatus, 21.5; ear, breadth, 14.5; tragus, 7; tibia, 22; hind foot, 13; depth of interfemoral membrane, 35; tail from anus, io.5;calcar, 15 mm. — Skull: greatest length, 23.2; condylobasal length, 19.6; condyle to front of canine, 19.6; basal length, 17.5; palatal length 9.4; zygomatic breadth, 11.6; breadth of braincase, 9.3; height of braincase, 9.3; mastoid breadth, 11.5; postorbital constriction, 3.5; width across molars, 7.6; width across cingula canines, 4.7; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 8.2; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 9.0; length of mandible, 14.4 mm. Remarks. — Since I have not examined any Venezuelan material of Tonatia carrikeri it is with some reserve that the present Suriname specimen is assigned to that species. In its dimensions it is smaller than the adult male described by Goodwin (1942: 208) but it agrees rather well with the adult female dealt with by that author. Unfortunately neither Allen nor Goodwin gave a description of the shape of the tragus, which in the Suriname specimen is quite different from that of Tonatia silvicola laephotis (see fig. 16c, f). Tonatia silvicola laephotis Thomas, 1910 Text-figs. i6f (head), 22a (canines and incisors), pi. 18 (skull) Tonatia laephotis Thomas, 1910, Annals Magazine Nat. Hist., (8) 6: 184-185. Type locality. — "River Supinaam, a tributary of the Lower Essequibo", Demera- ra, Guyana. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 64; Husson, 1962: 84. Vernacular names. — (E) Round-eared Bat. Distribution. — The species Tonatia silvicola (d'Orbigny, 1936) inhabits northern South America from central Brazil (Mato Grosso), Bolivia and Peru north, and CHIROPTERA 90 southern Central America north to British Honduras. The subspecies T. s. laephotis has been reported from the lower Amazon basin, Brazil and the Guianas. Occurrence in Suriname. — The species was reported for the first time from Suriname by Husson (1962), who dealt with the material listed below under 2 and 3. I have examined the following specimens: i. Brownsberg near the west bank of Brokopondo Lake, Brokopondo District, i female (no. 24987, skin and skull). 2. Between Moengotapoe and the Wiawia Bank, coastal region of north-eastern Suriname, Marowijne District, 1 male (no. 15786, skin and skull), 2 females (nos. 15785, 15787, skins and skulls). 3. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 female (ZMB no. 4214, skin and skull). Description. — Length of forearm varying from 53 to 59 mm (mean of 5 specimens: 56 mm); ears large and broad, rounded above, longer than the head, about 28 mm long and 18 mm broad; behind each ear there is a small connecting band, the two bands touching each other nearly in the middle of the forehead between the ears; tragus well developed, attenuated in its upper third, the basal part of its outer margin has three small tooth-like projections; nose leaf well developed, fused with upper lip, distance between tip of nose leaf and margin of upper lip about 12 mm; interfemoral membrane well developed, when stretched it extends to the level of the ankles; calcar somewhat longer than the hind foot, but somewhat shorter than the total free margin of the interfemoral membrane; tail extending to about one-third the length of the interfemoral membrane, the extreme tip appearing on its dorsal surface; the wing is attached on the dorsal surface of the hind foot near the base of the fourth digit; fur soft, extending on the basal half of the humerus, above and beneath; hairs of the dorsal surface dark mummy brown, the tips being pale buff; the hairs of the neck and behind the ears for the greater part white with dark tips; on the ventral surface the fur of the chin is distinctly whitish, this colour gradually passes in the more silvery greyish or greyish tinges of the abdomen; the sides of the body are more greyish brown, but paler than the dorsal surface; wings blackish brown, the lower part of the wing between the second and fifth fingers lighter, contrasting sharply, at least in the examined specimens, with the yellowish white colour of the metacarpals and phalanges. Dental formula: 1f, C \, P M §. Inner upper incisor much larger than the forward crowded outer incisor, the latter completely filling the space between the canine and inner incisor; anterior upper premolar much broader than long; postorbital constriction narrower than the width across cingula of canines; sagittal crest well developed in both sexes, running from the middle of the postorbital constriction to the basioccipital, not divided anteiiorly. Lower incisors much higher than wide; lower canines posteriorly nearly in contact with each other; small middle lower premolar much wider than long, crowded outward, but in such a way that it still touches both the first and third premolars, so that these are separated. CHIROPTERA 91 External and skull measurements of the examined male (RMNH no. 15786) and the two females (ZMB no. 3214, and RMNH no. 15785, respectively). Forearm, 57.2, 55.2, 57.0; length of third metacarpal, 46.5, 43, 46; first phalanx, 20, 19, 21; second phalanx, 21, 20.5, 21; third phalanx 21, 19, 20; length of fourth metacarpal, 45.5, 43, 45; first phalanx, 19, 17.5, 18.5; second phalanx, 19, 18.5, 18; length of fifth meta- carpal, 49, 47.5, 50; first phalanx, 18, 17.5, 18; second phalanx, 19, 18.5, 16.5; tibia, 30, 29, 30; calcar, 18, 17, 16 mm. — Skull: greatest length, 27.7, 26.6, 28.0; condylo- basal length, 24.0, 23.1, 24.0; condyle to front of canine, 24.1, 23.0, 23.7; basal length, 20.4, 19.8, 20.3; palatal length, 11.9, 11.5, 12.1; zygomatic breadth, 14.1, 12.9, 13.7; breadth of braincase, 11.2, 10.3, 10.5; height of braincase, 10.6, 10.1, 10.6; mastoid breadth, 14.6, 13.3, 13.8; postorbital constriction, 4.1, 3.9, 4.0; width across molars, 9.4, 8.4, 9.0; width across cingula of canines, 6.5, 5.5, 5.8; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 10.2, 9.6, 10.0; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 11.6, 10.5, 11.0; length of mandible, 18.2, 17.5, 18.1 mm. Remarks. — Husson (1962: 88) dealt with the nomenclature and taxonomy of the present subspecies. It is possible that also the related species Tonatia bidens (Spix, 1823) occurs in Suriname, since Goodwin (1942: 205) reported upon a specimen from Kartabo, Guyana. Tonatia bidens is of about the same size as T. silvicola laephotis, the length of the forearm varying from 55 to 59 mm, but it can be distinguished from the last mentioned species by (1) the shorter ears, which are as long as the head, and are not connected by a low band across the forehead, and (2) that the postorbital region is not constricted, its width being the same as that across the upper canines. Mimon bennettii (Gray, 1838) Text-figs. 19c (interfemoral membrane), 21b (head), 23a (canines and incisors), pi. 19 (skull) Phyllostoma Bennettii Gray, 1838, Magazine Zool. Bot., 2: 488. Type locality. — "S. America". Restricted by Hershkovitz (1951: 555) to Ypa- nema, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Synonymies. — Cabrera, 1958: 65; Husson, 1962: 91 Vernacular names. — (E) Little Spear-nosed Bat. Distribution. — South-eastern Brazil and Suriname. Occurrence in Suriname. — Peters (1867: 469) was the first author to report the present species from Suriname. Also Jentink (1887: 291) reported upon Suriname material, which, however, was incorrectly assigned by him to Lophostoma bidens. Husson (1962) examined both Peters's material and that of Jentink, which so far are the only Suriname specimens known of the species: Suriname without more precise locality indication, 2 adult females (ZMB no. 3350a, b), 1 skull (no. 17369). Description. — Length of forearm varying from 51 to 53 mm; nose leaf large and broad, length up to 17 mm, breadth up to 8.5 mm; ears large, broad, and pointed, length up to 27 mm, breadth up to 18.5 mm; tragus well developed, about 12 mm 92 CHIROPTERA (L.). Vampyrum spectrum (Spix); h, Trachops cirrhosus cirrhosus (Pallas); g, Phyllostomus hastatus hastatus (E. Geoffroy); f, Phyllostomus elongatus (E. Geoffroy); e, Anthorhina crenulata (Gray); d, Mimon bennettii (J. A. Allen); c, Tonatia carrikeri (Gray); b, Micronycteris megalotis megalotis Fig. 19. Diagrams of interfemoral membranes, ventral view, showing the various forms to be observed in Suriname Phyllostominae. a, CHIROPTERA 93 in length; interfemoral membrane large, when expanded extending to the bases of the toes; calcar long, about four-fifth the length of the tibia, and shorter than the free margin of the membrane; tail included in the interfemoral membrane, ending about in its middle; wing membrane from the ankles; fur long and dense, above and beneath; upper parts fulvous-brown, under parts paler. Dental formula: If, Pf, M|. Upper incisors completely filling the space between the canines, the outer about half as high as the inner, touching the inner as well as the canines; inner incisors in contact in the middle, their tips diverging; first upper premolar about half the size of the second, standing perfectly in the tooth-row, in contact with the canine as well as with the second premolar. Lower incisors higher than wide, as high as the cingulum of the canines; first lower premolar somewhat broader but slightly shorter than the second lower premolar. The auditory bullae are small in comparison to those of the closely related forms of the genus Anthorhina. External and skull measurements of the two examined females from Suriname, ZMB no. 3350 a and b, respectively: length of forearm, 52.2, 51.4; length of third metacarpal, 45.5, 45; first phalanx, 17.5,17.5; second phalanx, 24, 24; third phalanx, r4, 15; length of fourth metacarpal, 45, 44.5; first phalanx, r5, 15; second phalanx, 16.5, 14; length of fifth metacarpal, 48.5, 48; first phalanx, 15, 14.5; second phalanx, I 5. 13.5; ears, length, 27, 27; ears, breadth, 18.5, 18; length of tragus, 12, n; nose leaf, length, 17,17; nose leaf, breadth, 8.5, 8; tibia, 22.5, 22; hind foot, 14, 15; calcar, 18, 17; depth of interfemoral membrane, 40, 38; length of tail, 20, 20 mm. — Skull: greatest length, 25.1, 25.0; condylobasal length, 21.8, 22.3; condyle to front of canine, 21.6, 21.5; basal length, 19.6, 19.8; palatal length, 12.2, 12.1; zygomatic breadth, 13.7, 13.7; breadth of braincase, 9.8, 9.8; height of braincase, without crest, 9.5, 10.0; mastoid breadth, 11.6, 11.5; postorbital constriction, 4.5, 4.7; width across molars, 9.2, 9.4; width across cingula canines, 5.7, 5.5; upper tooth-row, c-m 3 , 9.2, 9.2; lower tooth-row, c-m 3 , 10.3, 10.3; length of mandible, 16.6, 16.6 mm. Remarks. — In the dried type specimen of Mimon bennettii the calcar is apparently as long as or slightly longer than the tibia (Peters, 1866a: 677-678; Dobson, 1878: 492). In the alcohol specimens from Suriname, howevei, the calcar is decidedly shorter than the tibia. Unfortunately neither Vieira (1942: 298) nor Dalquest (1957: 46) gave the length of the calcar, so that it is not known at present whether the length of the calcar is really subject to such a great variation, or that the method of preservation is the cause of the different measurements found. The skull of the Suriname specimen mentioned by Jentink (1887: 291) under the name Lophostoma bidens Spix proves to belong to the present species: it consists of the rostrum and the damaged mandible only. It is unknown to me when and in which way the Leiden Museum acquired this skull of which the skin apparently never formed part of the collections. The few measurements which could be taken are: width across molars, 9.1; width across cingula canines, 5.5; upper tooth-row, 9.2; lower tooth-row, 10.2. 94 CHIROPTERA Peters. (E. Geoffroy); g, (L.); h, Rhinophylla pumilio Carollia perspicillata perspicillata Peters; e, Phylloderma stenops (Wagner); f, Phyllostomus discolor discolor Anoura caudifer caudifer (Wied); b, Tomes; d, Thomas; c, Lonchorhina aurita Chrotopterus auritus guianae Macrophyllum macrophyllum Fig. 20. Diagrams of interfemoral membranes, ventral view, showing the various forms to be observed in Phyllostominae (a-e), Glossophaginae (f), and Carolliinae (g, h). a, 95 CHIROPTERA 7 The Berlin Museum specimens of Mimon bennettii are too discoloured to permit any statement about the original colour. Dobson (1876: 492) noted: "Fur above cinnamon-brown, paler beneath; on both surfaces long and dense, covering the humerus, but scarcely extending to the membranes". Anthorhina crenulata (E. Geoffroy, 1810) Text-figs. 19c! (interfemoral membrane), 21a (head), 23b (canines and incisors), pi. 19 (skull) Phyllostoma crenulatum E. Geoffroy, 1810, Ann. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris, 15: 183-184, pi. 10. Type locality. —- "Patrie. Inconnue; en Amerique vraisemblablement". Restricted to Bahia, Brazil, by Cabrera (1958: 66). Synonymies. —■ Cabrera, 1958: 66; Husson, 1962: 94. Vernacular names. — (E) Hairy Spear-nosed Bat. Distribution. —- Bahia, Brazil, through the lower Amazon region and the Guianas to Trinidad and eastern Venezuela. Occurrence in Suriname. — The first record of the species from Suriname was by Dobson (1878: 490), his material being only labelled "Surinam". Kappler (1881) listed “Thylorhinna fumilis” from Suriname, probably meaning the present species. Husson (1962) dealt with material from "Suriname" and from Kayserberg airstrip. I have examined the following material, which includes my 1962 specimens: 1. Kayserberg airstrip near Zuid River, about 3°6'N 56°3o'W, Nickerie District, 1 male (CNHM no. 93208, skin and skull). 2. Weg naar Zee, near the sea coast north of Paramaribo, Suriname District, i male (no. 24707, skin and skull). 3. Suriname, without more precise locality indication, 1 male (no. 12089, skin and skull), 1 female (no. 24692, skin and skull). Description. — Length of forearm varying from (45) 48 to 51 mm; nose leaf about 17 mm long and 8 mm broad, the free margins of the erect portion more or less crenulate, fringed with fine straight hairs; ears large, rounded above, about 22 mm long and 17 mm broad; tragus narrow, acutely pointed, outer margin with prominent projections below; interfemoral membrane large, when expanded reaching somewhat beyond the feet; calcar long, varying greatly in size (in specimen no. 12089 it is about three-fourths the length of the tibia, in one of the other specimens it is as long as the tibia); tail extending to about the middle of the interfemoral membrane, the tip perforating the membrane's dorsal surface; wing membrane from the side of the hind foot about half-way between the ankle and the base of the outer toe; dorsally the soft fur consists of long dark greyish hairs with dark brown to blackish brown tips; an indistinct median line of white colour runs from the crown of the head to the tail; ventrally the tips of the hairs are light yellowish brown; the lip and chin are yellowish white. Dental formula: If, C f, Pf, M§. Upper incisors completely filling the space between the canines; the height of the outer incisors is almost half that of the inner incisors, the tips of the latter diverge. First upper premolar as large as the outer [Document text truncated for crawler view.]