SCOTOXVCTICIUS ZKNKKUr. 5G7 



first iiis])cclioii miirlit siijrgest closer affinities between Hcutonijcleris 

 and Cijnopterus i.s the shape of the ])Ostzygomutic palate (long, witli 

 the lateral margins forming sti'aiglit lines converging backwardsj ; 

 of all cranial characters those of the postzygomatic palate are, 

 however, the most widely variable in the Epomophorine gronp of 

 genera ; no two genera are alike in the shape of this portion of the 

 palate (broad and siinide in Epomops^ \ narrower, deeply depressed 

 posteriorly, and with ])ronnnent palation rim in Epomoph.onis ; long, 

 aliruptly narrowed behind zygomatic processes, and with sub- 

 parallel lateral margins in Mlcropteropus ; very short and broad in 

 J^ioiomicteris ; &c.) ; but what ])erhaps more clearly than anything 

 else shows tlie fallacy of these characters as indicators of relation- 

 ships in Epomophorine bats, is the fact that in tlie closest living 

 relative of t^cotonyderis, viz. Cashi'/cteris, the postzygomatic palate 

 is completely obsolete and the combined mesopterygoid fossa and 

 posterior narial passage extend forward, as one continuous fossa, 

 to the level of the zygomatic processes. There is another character 

 which, tliough apjjarentlj' very insignificant in this connection, 

 might arouse doubt as to the affinities of Scoton>/cteris with Epo- 

 mophorine bats, namely, the absence of small white hair-tufts at the 

 anterior base of the cars, these tufts being curioush' persistent in 

 all other Epomophori irrespective of cranial, dental, and external 

 differences; but the tufts are present in Casinijcteris, which other- 

 wise so closely copies Scotnii>icteris externally as to be practically 

 indistinguishable in colour but for the presence of these tufts. 



1. Scolonycteris zenkeri, Mnischle. 



ScotODycteris zeukeri, Matschie, SB. Ges. nat. Fr. 1894 (10 Oct.), 

 p. 202 (Yaunde, !5. Cauieroou) ; uL, Deut.se/il. n. s. Kulon. p. u8 

 (18;i7j; .Sjoitedt, Bik. K. So. Vet.-Ak. llandl. xxiii. Afd. iv. 

 u. 1, p. 40 (1897: Yaunde; Elephant Lake, N.W.Cameroon); 

 Trouessart, Cat. Mamin. i. p. 87, n. 407 (1897) ; Matschie, 

 Mef/achii: p. 71, pi. xiii. (ai.imal, head, wing, ekull. palate-ridges; 

 (1899: Y'aimde ; Elephant Lake); Cabrera, Mem. Soc. Esp. 

 H. N. i. niem. 1, p. 6 (1903); Trouessart, Cat. Mamin.. Stippl. 

 p. 01, n. 0-12 (1904) ; Miller, Fain. ($• Gen. Bats, p. ti4 (1907). 



Scotonvcteris bedfordi, Thomas, AIMr. P. Z. S. 1904, n. 4, p. 14 

 (8 -Viarch, 1904: Fernando Po) ; id., P. Z. S. 1904, i. p. 372 

 (2 Aug. 1904); id., P. A. S. 1904, ii. p. 187, pi. xiii. {ariuial) 

 (18 .\pr. lOOo) ; Milter, Fum. ^- Gen. Bats, p. Oo (1907) ; Cabrera, 

 Mem. Soc. Esp. H. ^^. i. mem. 2o, p. 441 (190Sj. 



Far. — Eather long, dense, sublanose ; length of fur on back 

 7-S (general mass of hairs) and 10-11 (longest hairs), on middle of 

 belly about 7 mm. Proximal third of forearm and the whole of 

 tibia, except its distal extremity, distinctly though somewhat thinly 

 clothed above. 



Colour (type of ^S'. t/ed/ordi, adult female, skin, January). — 

 (ieneral colour of back a slightly russet tinge of wood-brown ; 

 individual hairs whitish at middle, seal-brown at base, with short 

 cinnamon or russet tips; the "general colour" produced by the 

 mixture of the cinnamon or russet colour of the hair-tips with 



