VOL. X, PP. 113-114 JULY 22, 1896 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THK 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



NOTE ON THE MILK DENTITION OP DESMODUS. 

 BY GERRIT S. MILLER, JR. 



Some immature specimens of Desmodus rufus, taken by Mr. 

 E. W. Nelson, at Etzatlan, Ja 

 lisco, Mexico, in June, 1892, and 

 now in the collection of the 

 United States Department of 

 Agriculture, retain the greater 

 part of the milk dentition, 

 though it is probable that none 

 are young enough to present a 

 complete set of deciduous mo 

 lars. The extraordinary special 

 ization of the teeth of this bat 

 correlated with the animal's 

 strictly sanguivorous habits 

 make any facts relating to the *- 

 early development of the teeth 

 of special interest. 



In the adult (Fig. 1, e, and 2, c) 



the dental formula is i 7>i9> 



1 1 22 



c ^i pm gqj> = 20. The milk i- 



dentition, so far as it can be de- 



2-2 

 termined, is as follows : di -^^> 



dc j3^' dm 2^9 = 18. 



The largest of the deciduous ^c* 



teeth are the Upper incisors Fro. i.-Maxillary teeth of Desmodus 



(Fig. 1 , di 1 and di 2). These CUt rufu ^ showi milk dentition and gradual 



change in form of permanent teeth from 



the gums some time before the ve r y young (a) to adult (e) (x 5). 



19 BIOT,. Soc. WASH., Vor,. X, 1896 (113) 



