THE GREATER HORSESHOE BAT 233 



when laid forward reaches well beyond the nostril ; the apex is abruptly 

 and distinctly pointed, and folded a little outwards ; the outer margin, 

 which is concave just below the tip, then slightly convex, is notched at 

 its base and produced along the side of the face towards the corner of the 

 mouth, forming in front of the auditory opening a rounded lobe which 

 appears to be capable of closing the ear ; from the outer margin extend 

 ten or twelve sulci, which run tranversely to the middle of the ear and 

 are crossed at right angles by a conspicuous blood-vessel ; the inner 

 margin is convex throughout, the lower two-thirds folded inwards so as 

 to form a kind of flap. 



In the nose-leaf the horseshoe is broad, parallel to the muzzle, but not 

 nearly covering it, emarginate in front, and formed of three concentric 

 elevations, of which the thickened inner one forms the walls of a 

 depression in which are situated the nostrils. The sella, which is small 

 and fiddle-shaped, commences anteriorly as a prominent process, its 

 exposed surface being broadest anteriorly, and presenting a deep cup, 

 divided equally by a low vertical septum ; about its middle this process 

 is somewhat contracted laterally, but posteriorly it again expands to 

 nearly its former breadth and terminates in a short but conspicuous 

 horn-like structure — the connecting process — rather acutely pointed 

 at either end of its greatest length, which lies parallel to that of the 

 body. At its base this horn is connected with the tongue-like lancet. 

 This latter is distinctly longer than broad, and, from a breadth anteriorly 

 almost equal to that of the horseshoe, tapers up the forehead to a 

 point. Anteriorly a mesial ridge and two series of transverse and 

 more or less horizontal septa divide the lancet into six irregularly 

 paired cells, the posterior pair being much the least prominent. 



The thumbs and feet are moderately stout, the latter armed with 

 strong claws. 



The wing (Plate IX., Fig. 3) arises from a point slightly above 

 the ankle ; the small interfemoral membrane projects slightly in the 

 middle posteriorly ; the tip of the tail is free. The antebrachial 

 membrane is ample. 



The second phalanx of the third digit is very long, and at least 

 equals one and a half times the length of its metacarpal, which is 

 considerably reduced in length, and the same proportion also holds 

 good in the fourth digit. The fifth is slightly but decidedly the longest 

 of the three. The proportions of the three are represented by the 

 following figures : — 



r. Metacarpal Metacarpal Metacarpal 



Forearm. jjj '^ jy^ y 



1000 644 724 743 



The false nipples are very long, transversely wrinkled, and flattened ; 

 their colour is yellowish or brownish. 



