PLASTIC rnARACTKRS. XXXV 



14. Tov'jue. 



Tlio principal morlifications of the surface structure of the tongue 

 have been described and figured on pp. 723-728, fig. 65. 



15. Wing-structaie. 



Detailed descriptions of the characters of tlie wing, in each genus 

 of Megachiroptera, are given in the systematic part of this Cata- 

 logue. The present paragraph intends to give only a general survey 

 of the variahilit}- of some of these characters. [In all Fruit-bats 

 there are three phalanges in the second finger, the terminal phalanx 

 nearly always clawed, two phalanges in the third, fourth, and 

 fifth.] 



ThirtJ, fourth, and fiftli metacarpals. — There is never any very 

 great contrast in the lengths of the metacarpals of the three long 

 fingers. As a rule, however, the third is distinctly the longest, in 

 some genera the fifth, while in others again all three metacarpals 

 are practically subequal. The variations in this respect, within 

 the four primary groups of Fruit-bats, arc briefly these : — 



In RousettHS and its closest relatives (Eidolon, Boneia) the third 

 metacarpal is as a rule slightly longer than the fourth, which is a 

 little longer than or subequal to the fifth ; the " indices " of the 

 metacarpals (/. e. their lengths for a supposed leugth of forearm of 

 1000) are in typical llousettus, respectively, 612, 5^5, and 586, in 

 Eidolon 600, 668, and 641, in Boneia 671, 659, and 648. In 

 Dohsonia (indices 621, 568, 586) and the related Harpi/ioni/cteris 

 (697, 661, 673) the third has remained the longest, but the fourth 

 tends to be a little shorter than the fifth. Finally, in Pteropus 

 and its relatives, Acerodon, Pteralope.r, and Styloctenium, the fifth 

 is slightly the longest, the third a little longer than or equal to the 

 fourth (ex., Pteropus Jij/pomelanus with the indices 689, 670, 718, 

 Pteralopex with 690, 659, 708, St>/locteninm with 723, 723, 739). 



In the Epomophorus section the third is nearly always slightly 

 the longest, the fourth and fifth subequal (or the fifth tending to 

 be the longer of the two) ; Epomophorus with the indices 680, 647, 

 and 641, and Epomops with 728, 699, and 715, may serve as 

 examples. In Scofont/ctcvis (682, 678, 688) and the related Casi- 

 ni/rtcris (692, 683, 692) all three metacarpals are subequal ; and 

 iri Phrotes (679, 698, 689) the fourth tends to be slightly the 

 longest. 



Again in the Ctjnopterns section the third is nearly always the 

 longest, the fourth and fifth more or less subequal, though very 

 often with a distinct tendency of the fourth to be the shortest, or 

 the third and fifth may be subequal, the fourth slightly the shortest ; 

 indices in Cijnopierus 640, 599, 625, in Bali any cterin 719, 697, 714, 

 in yi/etimene 70S, 646, 678. 



Two genera of Macror/lossino' (and those two which also in 

 skull and dentition are the least specialized in the subfamily), 

 viz. Eon>/ctrris and Mer/aJoglossus, are nearlv Rousettine in the 



