708 NYCTIJIEyK CEPHAtOTES, 



(1810); unaware of the existence of the earlier generic name, 

 Nyctimene, ho founded for this bat the genus CephaJotes (in which 

 he included another species, peroni, belonging to a genus now called 

 Dobsonia), and, obviously to avoid the tautological combination 

 " Cephalotes cephahtes," he renamed the species " prtZ?«.si." The 

 reign of the name Cephalotes pallasi was, however, destined to be 

 relatively short, chiefly confined to the years 1810-1829, and in the 

 later years of this period it had serious competitors. In 1811, a 

 new (third) generic name, Uaipyia, had been created for this bat 

 by Illiger, and this was slowly becoming generally accepted, while 

 " Cephalotes " cameinto use for the second species originally included 

 in that genus by E. Geoffroy, viz. C. peroni [Dobsonia 2)eroni). Thus 

 for half a century, 1827-1878, the present bat was commonly 

 styled Harpyia cephalotes or Harpt/ia pallasi, both names equally 

 common in the literature of that period. Dobson's acceptance, in 

 his Catalogue (1878), of the combination Harpijia cephalotes turned 

 the scale so decidedly in favour of this, the earlier, specific name 

 that, after 1878, " Harpijia pallasi " practically disappeared from 

 the literature. Shortly afterwards, however, the modern strict 

 application of the priority principle was brought to bear on the name 

 of this bat, and, as in several other cases, it resulted, to begin with, 

 in a period of instability. First (early nineties of last century), 

 " llarpifia " was discarded, as preoccupied in Entomology, and re- 

 placed by what was supposed to be the next generic name in 

 chronological order, Uromjcteris (hence the combination Uronycteris 

 cephalotes); second (late in the nineties), it was pointed out by 

 Palmer that the name Cephalotes in reality would have to stand for 

 this species, not for " G. peroni " (hence the combination Cephalotes 

 cephalotes) ; third (1899) came the combination Gelasinus cephalotes, 

 introduced by an author (Matschie) who was unable to accept 

 Palmer's view ; and finally, in 1902, the earliest generic name of 

 this bat, Nyctimene, was discovered and re-introduced. 



a. cJ ad. sk.; skull. Zayeli, Burn New Guinea Ex- 10.3.3.27. 



("sleeping in pedition [P.]. 



banana leaves"); 



Aug. 1909 {W. 



Stalker). 

 6. Ad. st. ; skull. Amboina. Purchased (Ver- f 47.7.8.8. 



reaux). [ 49.8.1fi.4. 



c. 2 subad. al. ; skull. Amboina ; Oct. Lords of the 82.7.27.5. 



1874 {H.M.S. Admiralty 



^Challenger'). [P.]. 



fZ. (5 ad. sk. ; skull. Wahai, Ceram ; New Guinea Ex- 10.3.4.10. 



7 Oct. 1909 ( W. pedition [P.], 



Stalker). 

 e 9 aa. al. ; skull. Larat, Timor Laut British Associa^ 83.3.24.3. 



{Dr. H.O.Forbes). tion [P.]. 



/. c? ad. al. ; skull. Timor. E. Army Medi- 9.1.4.8. 



cal College 

 [P.]. 



<iiWiWn'' , '{f[B -idi 



