MEO-iROPS F.CAUUAIUS. 



649 



Affiuiiiis. — In its oiif^in Mecjcrrops is probably more iiitiniately 

 connected with Ci/iw])ierus tliau with any other genus. It has tlie 

 large postorbital foramina characteristic of Cijnopierus and Pteno- 

 chirus (and of the large majority of Megachiroptera), in contra- 

 distinction to Thoopterus, PnitJu-tor, and their allies; the foramen 

 rotundum and ovale are united into one, as usually in Cynopterus 

 and Ptenocliirns, the upper canines ungrooved as in Ci/nopterus; 

 and the general outline of the cheek-teeth nearest that of Cyno- 

 pterus, though in the broadening of the lower teeth there may be 

 some slight leaning to the Thooplervs-Penthetor pattern. Its peculiar 

 characters, as compared with Cynopterus., are chiefly those given in 

 the brief diagnosis of the genus, viz. tlie increased depth of the 

 rostrum, the loss of i^, shortening of i"^*, and the absence of ati 

 external tail rudiment. In the deepening of the rostrum and tho 

 rather more "tubular" nostrils (the former character very likely 

 to some extent dependent on the latter) MeijiKrops exhibits an 

 initial st;ige of tendencies which reach a climax in the highly 

 peculiar Cynoptcrine genus Nyciimene. 



History in liieraim-e. — Meyverops has generally been considered 

 either a subgenus of Cynopterus or a distinct genus. By Matschie 

 it was placed as a subgenus under " PtenocJiiras,'' evidently owing 

 to the absence of i, in both genera. 



1. MegsBrops ecaudatus, Tanm. 

 Cynopterus ecaudatus, Dobson, Cat. Chir. li. M. p. S7. 



I'achysoma ecaudatiim, Temviinck, Mon. Maviin. ii. p. 94 (18-37 : 



Padang) ; Mucyillivray, Cuvier's An. Kimjil. ii. p. Yl (1840). 

 Megaera ecaudata, Tcmminck, Mon. Mamm. ii. p. '27 i, footnote f 



(1841) ; id., t. c. p. .359, pi. Ixix. (animal ; head ; skull) (1841.1 ; 



S. MiiUer, Temminck's Nat. Gesch. Ned. Oo. Eez.. Zncgl. pp. 21, 



58 (1841-44: W. coast of Sumatra) ; Lesson, N. Tabl. R. An., 



Mamm. p. 15, n. 201 f (1842) ; Gray, Zoo/. ' Samarang,'' Vert. 



p. 12 (1849); Gercais, Hist. Nat. Mamm. i. p. 191t (1854); 



[Anont/mous\ Mem. Quadr. Sf Cheir. Arch. Ind. p. 117 (18H4) ; 



Gray, P. Z. 6. 18G6, p. CI ; id., Cat. Monk. {<fc. p. 124 (1870). 

 Pteropus ecaudatus, Sc/iinz, 8i/.'<t. Verz. 8iiiiy. i. p. 1-34, u. 36 (1844) ; 



Giebel, Stiug. p. 1002 (1855). 

 Pteropus r.Megajra] ecaudatus, Wagner, Schrehcr's Stiug., Si'p]>l. v. 



p. 611 (1853-55). 

 Mog;erops ecnudatus, Peters, MB. Ak. Berlin, 1887, p. 868 (external 



measurements of type) ; Willink, Nat. Tijd. Ned. Ind. Ixv. 



* Tlio suppression of the innpi- pair of lower incisors, which in the Cyno- 

 plerine proup of genera is always ooinbined with a slvirtcnini; of tlie outer 

 pair of iipp"r incisors, is a cliaracter cropping ii|) indi'pendeiitlv in difTerent 

 b'"anclies of the group. In Cynopierus i, is pre.'ent and i- normal, but in tiie 

 very closely related Pteiiochirns ij is absent and i^ sliorlened ; in Thoopieriis 

 i, is present and i'' normal, in (he very closely related Pentheior ij is absent 

 and 1'^ shortened ; in Chiroiiax i, is present and i^ normal, but in its closest 

 relative, Balionycleris, ij is absent and i^ sliorlencd. It is perfectly dear, 

 therefore, that a natural arrangement of the Cynoptcrine genera cannot be 

 based primarily on the presence or absence of i,. 



t Generic name misspelt Mrgern . 



