MKLONYCTERIS. 7^7 



as broad at upper extremities as at alveolus of i', their lower 

 extremitie8 in simple contact (not ankylosed together) or even 

 narrowly spaced ; rostrum relatively broader and less distinctly 

 tapering anteriorly ; symphysis of mandible longer (rather more, in 

 Si/coni/cterts less, than | of the length of mandible from condjde) 

 and more nearly horizontal. Front of orbit above m"; temporal 

 ridges closely approximated or united into a low sagittal crest ; 

 symphysial keel of mandible only slightly indicated. 



Dentition (Hg. 75). — Dental formula unmodified ^[egachiropteran: 

 i' i- c p ' p^ p' m' m-' ^2=34 

 '> K c P, p., P. I", m^ m, "■ ■ 



Upper iucisors small, terete, subequal in size, distinctly and 

 almost equally spaced, not proclivous, i'-i^ slightly converging 

 inferiorly. Lower incisors small and terete, ij always distinctly 

 .smaller than i^, i,-i, widely spaced (compare Macrofflossus), i,-i, 

 closely approximated. Canines conspicuously longer than in 

 Syconiicftris ; upper canines with vertical grooves, varying some- 

 what individually: one deep along front face (always well-developed), 

 two along outer, one along hinder, and two along inner face (all 

 these sometimes shallow and ill-defined: see skull 86.7.9.2); 

 lower canines slanted strongly outward and somewhat backward. 

 All cheek-teeth small and narrow ; p' and p, situated close to 

 canines; a wide diastema between p'-p'\ P'^-p*, Pi-P.n ^"<1 Ps^P^ 

 (compare Macrocjlossus) ; posterior cheek-teeth narrowly spaced or 

 in contact, p' minute, barely piercing gum (much smaller than an 

 upper incisor) ; p, equal to or a little smaller than p^ ; m^ only 

 about half the size of m^. 



Palafe-ridr/es (ti^.7o). — Five interdental, three postdental ; sixth 

 and seventh divided in middle (fifth sometimes slightly so). Number 

 and arrangement as in Eoni/cferis and Macroqlnssus (figs. 72 A and 

 B, p. 750). 



Kvler)ial characters. — Naked portion of upper lip. beneath nares, 

 reduced to a narrow raised edge on either side of median vertical 

 groove (character reoccurring in Xesoni/cferis, and developed also 

 in a few genera oi Pteropodince, e. g. Ci/noptenis ; while Notopteris 

 is similar to Koni/cteris, MegalogJossun. and Macroi/hssiis, and the 

 majority of Pteropodince in having the median vertical groove 

 bounded on either side by broader naked lobes). External tail 

 absent. Wing-membranes arising from sides of dorsum and in- 

 serted posteriorly near end of third or fourth metatarsal ; vertical 

 fascia) of membranes, as usual in Mcicroglos^inct, few (about 6-8) 

 and widely spaced ; wing-indices (upper row in table below ; in 

 lower row those of Si/congcteris for comparison) differing from those 

 of the foregoing Macroglossine genera chiefly in two points, viz. fifth 

 metacarpal longer than third, this again longer than fourth (in 

 Eonycteris and Megalor/hssus third metacarpal longest, fifth shortest, 

 fourth intermediate; in Macroglossus and St/conyctens all three 

 metacarpals subequal with a distinct tendency of third or fourth to 

 he the shortest ; the two latter genera therefore forming in this 

 respect a transition to Melonycterig), and second phalanx of third 



3k2 



