NYCTOPHILUS UNICOLOR, Tomes.

Tasmanian Nyctophilus.

Nyctophilus unicolor, ‘Tomes in Proce. of Zool. Soc., part xxvi. p. 33.

 

«Art the specimens of this genus I have yet seen from Van Diemen’s Land,” says Mr. Tomes, “ differ
remarkably from those of the mainland of Australia, in having the fur everywhere short and cottony,
perfectly devoid of lustre, and unicoloured; that of the upper parts is of a dark olive-brown without any
variation of tint, excepting that it is perhaps a little darker along the middle of the back than elsewhere ;
beneath the fur is similar but paler in colour, with the tips of the hairs a little tinged with ash-colour ; this
is the colour of the whole of the under parts, with the exception of a patch on the throat, which is
whitish brown, dirty white, and occasionally pure white.

«Tmmature examples often have the fur above and beneath of a very dark olive-brown, almost black.
One specimen of this dark colour which I have examined has the spot on the throat almost pure white.

«So far as I have been able to ascertain, this species is subject to very trifling variations, either in colour
or size in the adult state; and the size agrees so closely with that of the species which I have called
N. Gouldi, that 1 at first thought the great difference in the texture and colour of the fur was due to the
difference of locality.”

To this description I have nothing to add. The specimens in my collection were transmitted from
Tasmania to this country by Ronald C. Gunn, Esq., a gentleman who has done much to enrich our know-
ledge of natural history.

The upper figure is of the natural size, the lower one somewhat reduced.