Subspecies Nyctophilus major major J.E. Gray, 1844

Museums

Regional Maps

• Nyctophilus major Gray, J.E. 1844. Beasts. pls18-22, 25-29 in Richardson, J. & Gray, J.E. (1844–1875). (eds). The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus & Terror, under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., during the years 1839 to 1843. Mammalia, birds. London : E.W. Janson Vol. 1. [plate 21, 28 and 29, three of ten Beasts plates (18–22, 25–29) that illustrate Gray, J.E. 1875. Miscellanea. pp. 12a–12d in Richardson, J. & Gray, J.E. (1844–1875) (eds). The Zoology of the Voyage of H.M.S. Erebus & Terror, under the Command of Captain Sir James Clark Ross, R.N., F.R.S., during the years 1839 to 1843. Mammalia, birds. London : E.W. Janson Vol. 1; the plates do not have a date printed on them; Tomes, R.F. 1857. On the species of bats inhabiting New Zealand. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1857: 134–142 pls 53–54 [138], Dobson, G.E. 1975. On the genus Scotophilus, with description of a new genus and species allied thereto. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1875: 368–373 [372] and Tate, G.H.H. 1941. Results of the Archbold Expeditions. No. 40 Notes on vespertilionid bats of the subfamilies Miniopterinae, Murininae, Kerivoulinae, and Nyctophilinae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 78: 567–597 [595] record the date of Beasts plates 20 (Dobson), 21 (Tate) and 22 (Tomes) as 1844; in contrast to Tomes op. cit., Dobson op. cit. and Tate op. cit., Thomas, O. 1888. Catalogue of the Marsupialia and Monotremata in the Collection of the British Museum (Natural History). London : British Museum xiii 401 pp. 28 pls [3 Nov. 1888] [277] writes that the Beasts plates were prepared in 1845, but although they were seen privately and quoted by several authors long before, their 'real publication' only took place in 1875; Saunders, J. 1875. List of the Books, Memoirs, and Miscellaneous Papers by Dr. John Edward Gray, F.R.S. with a few Historical Notes. London : Taylor & Francis (Printers) 58 pp. [19] records Gray's work no. 278 as 'Figures of new species of Australian Mammalia. Zool. Ereb. and Terror, 1844, 4 to.' and on the basis of this information the publication date of Beasts plate 21, 28 and 29 is taken by Mahoney, J.A. in Walton, D.W. (ed.) 1988. Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Vol. 5 Mammalia. Canberra : Australian Government Publishing Service x 274 pp. [155, 169], as 1844; early authors who cite Beasts plates include Gunn, R.C. 1852. A list of the mammals indigenous to Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of. Van Diemen's Land 2: 77–90 [Beasts plates 19, 21, 25 cited on pp. 78, 82], Gould, J. 1858. The Mammals of Australia. Pt 10. London : J. Gould (Beasts plate 20 cited on unnumbered page of text entitled Scotophilus greyi, Gray. Grey's Scotophilus.) and Peters, W. 1861. Über die Chiropterengattung Nyctophilus. Phys. Abh. K. Akad. Wiss. Berl. 1860: 123–137 1 pl. (Beasts plate 21 cited on p. 125); Saunders, J. op. cit., p. 1 states that the List of the Books, Memoirs, and Miscellaneous Papers by Dr. John Edward Grey was commenced by Gray himself in the latter part of 1871 and the papers which he (Saunders) added were those published in 1874–75; Gray died on 7th March, 1875; Gould's collector in Western Australia in 1843 was J. Gilbert; a label attached to the skin of the holotype has the date 20th March, 1843 inscribed on it and this is three days later than the date that Whittell, H.M. 1942. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia. Part III. Emu 41: 289–305 [295] gives for Gilbert's return to Fremantle from Houtman Abrolhos, W. Australia] [Gould's collector in Western Australia in 1843 was J. Gilbert; a label attached to the skin of the holotype has the date 20th March, 1843 inscribed on it and this is three days later than the date that Whittell, H.M. 1942. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia. Part III. Emu 41: 289–305 [295] gives for Gilbert's return to Fremantle from Houtman Abrolhos, W. Australia].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH 44.7.9.20 skin & skull (the BMNH Register records that specimen no. 44.7.9.20 was purchased from J. Gould), 'Perth', WA.

  Type locality references:

  Thomas, O. 1915. Notes on the genus Nyctophilus. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 8 15: 493-499 [494].

  Secondary source:

   Whittell, H.M. 1942. A review of the work of John Gilbert in Western Australia. Part III. The Emu 41: 289-305.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

WA: Jarrah Forest (JF), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Warren (WAR)

General References

Parnaby, H.E. 2009. A taxonomic review of Australian Greater Long-eared Bats previously known as Nyctophilus timoriensis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae) and some associated taxa. The Australian Zoologist 35(1): 39-81

History of changes