On a Jieio Fruit-Bat from Africa. Ill 



Xll. — A neiv Genns of Fruit- Biita and Tuo new Shrews from 

 Africa. By Oldfield Thomas. 



(Published by peroiiasion of the Trustees of the British Museum.) 



Casinycteris, gen. no v. 



External cliaracters, including even coloration, precisely 

 as in Scotoni/ctcris. The ears larger tlian in S. zenkeri. 

 Wings reticulated, said to be orange-coloured in the tresh 

 state. 



Skull at once distinguishable from that of Scotonycteris by 

 its palate being markedly shortened posterioily and the bony 

 floor to the long mesopterygoid fos.^a completely obsolete, so 

 that the palation is |)ractically at the level of the back of the 

 single molar. In Scotomjcteris there is the usual elongated 

 palate. Palatal edge forming a reversed W (M), the median 

 angle in continuation with a long and high vomerine ridge. 

 Rostrum shorter in proportion than in Scotonycteris, bony 

 palate more arched mesially, zygomata more abruptly 

 expanded, postorbital j)rocesses and general cranial ridges 

 more strongly developed. Kami of lower jaw thickened and 

 expanded. 



Dental formula as in Scotonycteris. 



Teeth in a general way high, pointed, shorter in section 

 antero-posteriorly, broader transversely than in Scotonycteris. 

 Canines very long, curved, flattened. Cheek-teeth, both 

 upper and lower, with the inner cusp well developed and 

 separate, instead of being suppressed or joined to the outer 

 as in Scotonycteris ', this is especially noticeable in p^^ the 

 inner cusp being distinct, two-thirds the height of the outer, 

 while in Scotonycteris the outer and inner enamel-ridges of 

 the tooth are smoothly continuous with each other. 



Type. Casinycteris argynnis, sp. n. 



This striking bat, which adds another to the long list of 

 new genera discovered by ^Ir. Bates, is remarkable for 

 possessing a palate quite unlike that of other fruit-cat in o- 

 bats, and more recalling that found in some of the Micro- 

 chiroptera. The astonishing resemblance of the type species 

 to Scotonycteris zenkeri is also noticeable. Probably botli bats 

 bear a protective resemblance to the leaves, fresh or dry, of 

 some local tree. 



Casinycteris argynnis, sp. n. 



General external appearance — at least in the dried state — 

 precisely as in Scotonycteris zeukeri, except that the size is 



