PTEROPUS JAVANICUS. 



of illustrating the generic character in a satisfactory manner. For this purpose, the 

 species selected for the present article is more particularly calculated : it is the largest 

 hitherto discovered, and all the characters exist in a complete state of development. 

 It may, however, be proper for me to state in this place, that the following details are 

 not given as an original illustration of this genus ; this has already been afforded to 

 the scientific Pubhc, both by M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, and by M. Fred. Cvivier. I 

 mention particularly the details of the latter, contained in his " Memoires sur de 

 nouveaux caracteres pour les genres des Mammiferes," published in the Annales du 

 Museum, &iC., to which Memoirs I have on various subjects in the course of this 

 Work, already referred with acknowledgment. But entertaining the desire to supply 

 to the animals successively described, all the illustration which the materials in the 

 Museum at the India House aiford, I trust the present discussion on this genus will 

 not be unacceptable to the patrons of these Researches. 



On the Plate of Illustrations I have represented, with all possible accuracy, the 

 skull and the teeth of the Pteropus javanicus, of natural size ; but before I proceed 

 to the description of them in detail, I shall enumerate the essential characters of this 

 genus, as given by M. Geoffrey and the Baron Cuvier. By the former they are 

 comprised in the following terms : — crown of the grinders large, and terminated by 

 two ridges : second finger of the hand provided with an unguiculate phalanx. 

 M. Cuvier concisely expresses them thus : — the grinders have two longitudinal and 

 parallel projections, separated by a groove, which are worn by detrition. As the 

 celebrated Illiger has not included this peculiarity in his generic description, I have 

 added it to the citation of this genus from his prodromus, placed at the head of this 

 article. In the Plate of Illustrations, Figure Q represents the skull of the Pteropus 

 javanicus. The form of the skull, its relative proportions, and the limits of the 

 intermaxillary bone are distinctly exhibited. This species affords a sample of the 

 genus in its intermediate state, between the extremes of elongation and brevity of 

 the rostrum : the latter here constitvites about one third of the length of the skull ; 

 in other species it bears a much smaller proportion ; in the Ptei'opus rostratus it is 

 comparatively much longer. The longitudinal crest along the highest part of the 

 skull is distinctly exhibited : an accurate examination of the skulls of the individuals 

 of this genus may assist in future in affording distinctions, where other characters 

 are insufficient. 



The teeth are 34 in number : namely. 



In the Upper Jaw — 4 front teeth, 2 canine teeth, and 10 grinders. 



In the Lower Jaw — 4 ditto 2 ditto 12 ditto 



In the upper jaw the front teeth are semicircularly arranged, at equal distances ; 

 they are cylindrical, and present a transverse edge by the detrition of their inner 



