20 EXTINCT AND VANISHING MAMMALS 



the species of Artibeus found in the same islands and differs 

 conspicuously in the skull by having the palate deeply emar- 

 ginate posteriorly and in the great development of the post- 

 glenoid process. In each jaw are two incisors, a canine, two 

 premolars, and three molars. The crown of the inner upper 

 incisor is short and thick, scarcely or not higher than long. 

 Additional details of the teeth are given fully by Miller (1907, 

 p. 151). 



The first-described species, A. nichollsi, of Dominica, is 

 small, with a forearm of about 46 mm.; A. montserratensis, of 

 Montserrat, is slightly larger, with a forearm of 51.5 mm.; the 

 Guadeloupe form, A. annectens, is of intermediate size, with a 

 forearm of 48 mm.; while the most southerly one, A. luciae, 

 of St. Lucia, is very little larger than A. nichollsi, forearm 47 

 mm., and has a small white spot on the shoulder and distinctly 

 bifid inner upper incisors. If, as seems likely, the genus once 

 occurred on Martinique, it has probably now been extirpated 

 with clearing and volcanic destruction. 



These bats are evidently tree-living, rather than cave- 

 haunting, which implies not only that they are somewhat 

 solitary and so easily escape observation, but also are more 

 difficult to find on account of living among the leaves by day. 

 Of the Montserrat species, Thomas records that it is said to 

 hang by day underneath branches of trees, and to do much 

 damage to the cocoa plantations. It seems likely, however, 

 that it can hardly be common enough to be very destructive, 

 and that the larger Artibeus is the real culprit. Of the Guade- 

 loupe form, Miller mentions five specimens, implying a small 

 group captured. Dr. G. K. Noble, who secured an adult 

 female and well-grown young in Guadeloupe in 1914, writes 

 me that he found these hanging together directly over the 

 path he was following through the woods near Sainte Rose. 

 Later his guide caught another one, so that they must occur in 

 some numbers still. Ardops is a member of the fruit-eating 

 group of leaf -nosed bats; hence it must depend for a living 

 upon the soft fruits of various forest trees, and these in turn 

 must occur in sufficient variety to provide a continuous supply 

 throughout the year. It is evident, therefore, that any impor- 

 tant change in the forest cover, whereby such trees are de- 

 stroyed or replaced by other kinds that do not produce the 

 desired fruit, must inevitably affect these local species. One 



