516 



EPOMornoEUs. 



Dentition (fig. 36). 



.1^ — tjL^' — = 28*. Characters of 



teeth as in Epomojys, but i^ never deciduous. 



Palate-ridges (fig. 37), — Six thick prominent ridges across inter- 

 dental and postdental palate, and two or three thin and serrate 

 ridges close together at extreme posterior edge (very inconspicuous 

 and easily overlooked). Four anterior ridges undivided (second to 

 fourth often notched at middle), fifth and sixth distinctly separated 

 at middle. The arrangement of the postdental and posterior iuter- 

 ental ridges is of primary taxonomic importance, no specimen ot 



Pig, 37. Palate-ridges. A, Epomophonis w. waJdUrgi (cJ, G4.1.9.35); 



B, E. angolensis (cT, 64.8.16.1, type of species); C, E. minor 

 ( J , 79.9.12.4, type of species) ; D, E. gambianus ( (S , 83.4.24.2). 

 All figures {. 



Epomo)^hori(S ought to he named without an examination of the soft 

 palate. Fig. A shows the arrangement of the ridges characteristic 

 of E. wahlbergi only, fig. B that of E. angolensis and pousarguesi, 

 fio-s. C and D the type of palate-ridges found with hut little specific 

 variation in E. lahiatus, minor, cryijtiirus, atiuriis, and gambianus. 

 For details see Synopsis, p. 520, and descriptions of species. 



* The following dental anomalies have been observed in a series of much 

 more than 150 skulls representing all forms known: — A " p^ " present on both 

 sides, closely wedged in between p, and pg, small, about equal iu cross-section 

 nnd height to a lower incisor, and similar in general shape and structure to 

 Pj of a RmseUus and Pteropus (E. gambiamis ^uy.. 99.6.15.3) ; a " p^ " present 

 on left side, situated about midway between pi and pj, in bulk subequal to \ of 



teeth 



comparatively recently lost in this group of bats (compare Plerotes, in which 

 p^ and m are present). — An initial stage of a spliltingof the outer ridge of nij, 

 or both m and m\ into two cusps, is seen in a few individuals (E. gambiamis 

 Tg. ad., 74c ; E. anurus ad. and imm., 6.12.4.8 and 6.3.8.2) ; compare Hypsi- 

 gnathus. , . . . ► •;■"••■• ■■"--— ■- — - ,. - 



