ryC) 



N0TOPTERI3. 



JVesont/cteris, h\it this sljorieiiiiig in some aiea^ure compensated by 

 a conspicuous lengthening of the terminal phalanges of third and 

 fourth digits and a suKill lengthening of the first phalanx of fourth 

 and fifth, so that the total length of the long digits is not much 

 smaller than in JVesoiii/clcris; fifth metacarpal subequal to (tending 

 to be a little longer than) third, which is decidedly longer than 

 fourth (as in Melonyctens and Nesonycteris, though with the 

 shortening of the fourth even more emphasized) ; second phalanx 

 of third digit much longer than metacarpal (compare table below, 

 giving in upper row the wing-indices of JVotopteris, based on two 

 adult specimens, in middle row those of Nesonycteris, and in lower 

 row those of Melonycteris, for comparison). Notopatiigium naked 

 (but shoulders and rump furred); colour of fur recalling the 

 sombre tinges of liousettus, IJobsonia, or Eonycteris (bright in 

 Macroglossus, Melonycteris, and Nesonyctens) ; no external secondary 

 Bpxual differentiation. 



Habits. — It has been suggested that JSotopteris " doit se nourrir 

 des fleurs du Niaouli {Melaleuca virulifiorens), de I'Erythrine, des 

 fruits du Eanian et d'une sorte de Picas " (Trouessart, I. c), bufc 

 this seems to be mere conjecture baaed solely on the fact that these 

 trees are common in the island (New Caledonia) inhabited by one 

 of the forms of the present genus, and there frequented by certain 

 species of Pteropus. Actual observations appear to be wanting. 



A^nities. — Notopteris is at the same time one of the most 

 primitive and one of the most highly specialized genera of Fruit- 

 bats. There is no doubt that it is closely related to Melonycteris 

 and Nesonycteris, with which it accords in all important characters 

 of the skull, dentition, and palate-ridges; as pointed out elsewhere 

 (p. 788) these three genera form a separate small section of Macro- 

 ylossince, being the only Fruit-bats which have preserved a long 

 infraorbital canal and broad upper extremities of the prcmaxillos ; 

 but Noiopteris is in one respect, the remarkably long tail, even 

 lower than Melonycteris and Nesonycteris, and indeed lower than 

 any other Fruit-bat. In nearly all other respects it has, however, 

 developed along the same lines as the two allied genera, and in 

 certain points it has carried the specialization farther than those. 

 The right and left premaxillae are in Melonycteris and Nesonycteris, 

 as in most other Fruit-bats, in simple contact inferiorly, in JS'oto- 



* In Melonycteris with claw. 



