SYCON YCTiiEIS. 773 



Lower incisors proclivous, quite or very nearly in contact ; i^ 

 small (though relatively considerably larger than in Macroijlossus), 

 cutting-edge faintly but distinctly bifid ; i^ from once and a half to 

 twice as high and broad as i^, crown obliquely triangular, its antero- 

 posterior suboqual to its trausverss diameter. Upper canines with 

 a deep and strongly defined vertical groove along anterior surface 

 of crown, outer surface as a rule marked with two shallow vertical 

 grooves separated by a low keel (the anterior of these grooves 

 generally, perhaps always, distinct, the posterior not infrecjuently 

 obsolescent ; similar grooves as a rule traceable in Macroglossus). 

 Lower caniues slanted outward and, to a less degree, backward. 

 Cheek-teeth not quite but nearly so low as in Macroglossus, and in 

 the majority of forms (all races of *S'. crassa) elongate in transverse 

 section, i. e. more than half as broad as long (thus conspicuously 

 different in general aspect from the linear teeth of Macroglossus), in 

 the extreme eastern and south-eastern forms {S. australis, n'uias), 

 however, sublinear, i. e. only half as broad as long (very closely 

 approaching those of Macroglossus in outline of transverse section). 

 Upper cheek-teeth gradually decreasing in height from p' to m^ ; 

 })' unusually large, only slightly smaller in bulk than p' : p^, p^, 

 and m' subequal in transverse area ; m'"^ in S. crassa and austraUs 

 small, varying from two-thirds to one-half the bulk of m\. in 

 S. naias absent. Pj large, nearly as high as, and not much smaller 

 in bulk than, p^ ; height of teeth gradually decreasing from p^ to 

 m^; pj, pj, and m^ subequal in transverse section, m„ smaller than 

 m,, m^ in S. crassa and austraUs varying from thi'ce-fourths to one- 

 half of m^, in ;S'. naias absent. 



Palate-ridges (fig. 7i B). — As in Macroglossus (fig. 74 A). 



Fig. 74. — Palate-ridges. A. Macroglossus minimus sohriuus (79.11.15.6) ; 

 B. Syconycteris crassa major (type of subspecies). J (linear). 



External characters. — Interfemoral reduced to a sublinear rim 

 along tibia (much narrower than, in Macroglossus at least as broad 

 as, tibia) ; calcar rudimentary (0-5-1-5 mm.). Other external 

 characters, as well as general appearance of animals, quite or very 

 nearly as in Macroglossus: — Internarial groove always continued 

 downward to margin of upper lip; external tail obsolete or detectable 



