MICUOPTKKOPIS PrSILLUS. 557 



Sexual differentiation. — Adult males with deep shoulder-pouches 

 and erectile epaulette-like hair-tufts (" when erected the tuft had a 

 vibratory movement," collector's label, B.M.) ; adult females with- 

 out epaulettes, but often (like subadult males) with distinct though 

 much shallower pouches. Males scarcely differing from females in 

 size. 



Affnities. — Microjyteropus has probably originated from a bat 

 closely allied to but more primitive than the living species of Epo- 

 mophorus. The distinctly depressed postdental palate and prominent 

 palation rim are characters unknown in all genera of IJegachiro- 

 ptera except these two. But whereas the skull of Epomophorus 

 shows a remarkable, in its extreme phase even excessive, lengthening 

 and narrowing of the rostrum, il/icro/?^t';-oyjMS has taken the opposite 

 line of development, the rostrum being almost as short and heavy 

 as in Ci/nop)terus. The palate-ridges of Micropteropus, though 

 different in total aspect from those of any other genus of Megachi- 

 roptera, undoubtedly exhibit only the climax of certain modifications 

 present, in initial stages, in vario\is Epomophorine bats ; the five 

 ridges o^ Micropteropms are probably homologous with the five ridges 

 of Epomops dobsoni (fig. 31 C, p. 489), with which they closely 

 correspond in position ; in E. dobsoni (as in all species of Epomo- 

 2^horus, compare also Nanonycteris) the first ridge is slightlj'. in 

 Mieropteropus strongly hastate ; in E. dobsoni the fourth and fifth 

 ridges are modified into two pairs of triangular prominences, in 

 Mieropteropus not these ridges only, but also the second and third 

 are similarly modified and separated by a deep and broad median 

 groove. In the distribution and general colour of the fur tho 

 present genus is very similar to Epomophorus, and like the smallest 

 species of that genus {E. labiatus and minor) it has not developed 

 any appreciable sexual diflference in size. 



1. Mieropteropus pusillus, Pet. 

 Epomophorus pusillus, Dobson, Cat. Chir. B. M. p. 14. 



Epomophorus schoecsis {nee Heuglin), Tomes, P. Z. S. 1860, p. 56 

 (Gambia ; Gaboon) ; id., op. dt. 1861, pi. i. figs. 4, 4 a (skull : 

 Gaboon). 



Epomophorus pusillus, Peters, MB. Ak. Berlin, 1867 (19 Dec), 

 p. 870 (Yoruba) ; id., J. Sci. Lisboa, iii. p. 123 (1871 : Angola) ; 

 Dobson, Cat. Chir. B.M. p. 14, pi. ii. fig. 6 (palate-ridges) (1878 : 

 Abeckuta ; Lagos ; Gaboon) ; Trouessart, Pev. 4" Mat/. Zool. (3) 

 vi. p. 208, n. 337 (1879) ; Dobson, P. Z. S. 1881, pp. 090, 693 

 (pharynx ; larynx ; hyoid bones) ; Peters, SB. Ges. nat. Fr. 

 1881, p. 132 (Malange, Loanda) ; Dobson, Tram. Linn. Soc. (2) 

 Zool. ii. pt. V. pp. 260, 261 (1882 : digastric) ; Rochebrune, Faun. 

 Seneg.,Mamm. p. 45 (1883) ; Jentink, Notes Leyd. Mus. x. p. 51 

 (1887 : Little Cola, Liberia) ; id.. Cat. Ost. Mamm. p. 252 (1887 : 

 Robertsport, Liberia); id., Cat. St/st, Mavun. p. 138 (1888: 

 Robertsport and Little Cola, Liberia ; Congo) ; Socage, J. Sci. 

 Lisboa, (2) i. p. 15 (1889: Loanda) ; Noack, Zool. Jahrb., Syst. 



