NOIOPTERIS. 79"* 



pteris aiik\ loscd together ; this is a cbfnactcr developed indepeii- 

 dcntly in several other Fruit-bats, both Macro<jhssi7i(n (Megah- 

 glossus, 3facro<ihssr(s, Sycomycterxs) and Pterojtodincp, and, though 

 vahiahle for diagnostic purposes, it is of lirtle or no use for a 

 determination of the affinities of a genns (premaxillse in simple 

 contact in typical liousettus,hnih\^QAin the subgenus ZmoH_?/c^€H,s ; 

 in contact in Pteroiriis, fused in Fterohpe.r \ fused in fh/jtsiyvaihns, 

 but in contact in all other Epomophorine bats ; in contact in 

 BaHonycienn, but fused in ('hirona.v). The premaxilla: are decidedly 

 more pi'oclivous than in Melonycferis and Aesonycleris. though 

 scarcely more so tlian in Macroylossus, but the corresponding 

 portion of the mandible (its toothless extremity between i.^-i^) is 

 somewhat expanded laterally, almost spoon-like. The inner pair 

 of lower incisors is in Melonycteris smaller than the outer, in 

 Nesonycteris and Noicpieris it has disappeared, and in Notopteris 

 also the inner upper pair is on the point of disappearing. These 

 modifications, of the incisors, the premaxilloe, and the extremity of 

 ihe mandible, are probably interdependent; by the proclivity 

 of the premaxillffi and the broadening of the extremity of the 

 mandible the rostrum becomes remarkably prominent : the fusion 

 of the preraaxillae adds to its firmness ; and the total or nearly total 

 disappearance of the incisors from this portion of the extremity of 

 the rostrum renders it peculiarly beak-like, p' is remnrkably small 

 in Melomjcteris and jS'esonyciens (as compared with the same pre- 

 molar in Macroglos.ius and Syconycteris), in Kotopteris it has been 

 entirely suppressed, as has also the corresponding lower tooth, and 

 the next premolar above and below (p^ and pj has moved forward 

 closely behind the canines. In MehnyvUris and JS'esonycteris the 

 fifth metacarpal is the longest, the fourth the shortest, the third 

 intermediate ; the same is the case in Notopteris, only the relative 

 shortness of the fourth metacarpal is more emphasized. In the 

 large majority of Fruit-bats, both Pteropodincp and MacroqJossiva' 

 the terminal phalanx of the third finger is conspicuously shorter 

 than the third metacarpal, in Melonycteris 'ind NesovycterissxL\tec\\\;([ 

 to, and in Notopteris even longer than the metacarjjal. In having 

 the membranes arising from the spinal line and the " back " 

 (notopatagiura) naked, Notopteris is unique in the subfamily 

 Marroylossina;, but there is a close parallel in the Pteropodin'cv 

 (Dohsonia). 



Synopsis of the Species, 



u. Forearm 6o-n-68*o mm. (New Hebrides; fp. 797. 



Fijis) 1 . X. macdonaldi, 



b. Forearm (only immature specimens known) [p. 799. 



at least /)9 mm. (Xew Caledonia) 2. N. neocal^donica, 



1. Notopteris macdonaldi, Gray. 



Notopteris macdonaldi, Dobson, Cat. Chir. B. M. p. 93. 



Notopteris macdonaldi, Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 38, pi. Ixvii. (29 June, 

 18o9: animal; skull; teeth) (Viti I.evu) ; Gerrard, Cat. Bones 



