th'i Genus Acerodon. 23 



occurs only in the French form, " Acdrodon." Tlie meetino- 

 was held on 2 Jan. 1S38, the " Comptes Rendus " presumably 

 puhlislied a few days later '^. — It appears rather strange that 

 Cuvier^s Report on Jourdan's paper contains remarks on 

 Acerodon, whereas Jourdan's original paper, as printed in the 

 " Comptes Rendus " (see no. (1), supra), has no reference to 

 this genus. The explanation may be this : Cuvier^s remarks 

 on Acerodon are not very favourable for its validity as a 

 distinct genus ; as Cuvier, together with Dumeril, was the 

 Academy's " Commissaire " for zoological papers, he may 

 (privately) have informed Jourdan of this opinion, and 

 Jourdan therefore have withdrawn the description of Acero- 

 don from the paper laid before the Academy, but almost 

 simultaneously published it in the "Echo " (no. (2), supra). 

 But this is, of course, only conjecture. 



(5) After 5 Feb. 1838— Ann. Sci. Nat. (2) viii. Zool. 

 pp. 367-374. A reprint of no. (4), sujyra, but with the 

 addition, in footnotes, of quotations from Jourdan's original 

 paper, these quotations, taken together, amounting to a com- 

 plete reprint of no. (1). This is Palmer's primary reference, 

 evidently because this number of the 'Annales' is dated 

 December 1<S37 ; but since it contains a paper read before 

 the Paris Academy on Feb. 5, 1838, it must have been pub- 

 lished after this date. 



Principal subdivisions of genus. — The six species of Acero- 

 don recognized in this paper fall into two natural sections, the 

 one conhned to the Timor and Celebes groups, the other to 

 the Talaut and Philippine Islands. The three species of the 

 former section are more primitive, in so far as p-^ is typical 

 Pterupine, without antero-internal basal cusp ; the ears are 

 relatively longer and the colour of the fur pale above and 

 beneath. The two species inhabiting the Timor group, viz. 

 A. markloti (Tiaior, Flores, Alor) and A. gilvus (Sumba), 

 are closely related, differing chiefly in size, whereas the 

 Celebean species [A. celebensis) is characterized by its much 

 weaker dentition. The three species of the latter group are 

 more specialized in having a distinct antero-internal basal 

 cusp in ps ; the ears are relatively shorter, the colour of the 

 fur much darker; in general aspect the coloration of these 



* This statement, that the " Comptes Rendus " of the meeting of the 

 Paris Academy held on Jan. 2, 1838, were probably published a few days 

 after that date, might seem to be contradicted by the fact that this 

 number of the C. E,. contains (p. 22) a table of meteorological observa- 

 tions for every day of "Janvier 1838." But "Janvier 1838 " is obviously 

 a misprint for " decembre 1837" ; compare p. 184 of the same volume, in 

 which page the true table for Jan. 1838 appears. 



