139 



The top of the head is convex, rounding off on every side, and the 

 space between it and the end of the nose, i. e. the face, is concave in 

 its longitudinal direction, but not transversely, as in Taphosous. 



The ears are lateral, and remarkably simple in form. Instead of 

 the forward extension on the side of the face, so usual in the insecti- 

 vorous species of this order, they are attached precisely as in the 

 fruit-eating species, i. e. just as we may observe them in a dog or cat. 

 In form they are regularly oval, and slightly pointed. The tragus 

 is straight, narrow, and pointed, reaching to the middle of the ear. 



The wings are rather broad, and of medium length. The thumb 

 is of moderate size, with the basal joint very short ; the index finger 

 is composed of two phalanges, the terminal one being very minute. 

 The second finger has four phalanges, and the third and fourth fin- 

 gers have three each. The presence of four phalanges in the second 

 finger, instead of the usual number of three, in this family, will be 

 again adverted to. The wing-membranes barely extend to the distal 

 extremity of the tibia. 



The legs and feet are very short and stout, as in the genus Mo- 

 lossus. The heel-cartilage is of medium length and substance, and 

 the interfemoral membrane is rounded at its posterior margin, and is 

 perforated near its base by the tail, which is short, and exhibits its 

 terminal half free above the membrane, as in the genus Taphozous. 



The portions of membrane contiguous to the fore-arm, the sides 

 of the body and the tibia, are very thick and leathery, with numerous 

 deep wrinkles, and the basal half of the interfemoral membrane (as 

 far as to where the tail becomes free) possesses the same peculiarity. 

 The wrinkles, in many places, cross the legs and fore-arms, but they 

 are only observable on the upper surfaces of the membranes and 

 limbs. This singular part of the cutaneous system is marked by a 

 regular and decided outline, and can scarcely be said at any place to 

 graduate into the smooth membrane of the wings. Its extent is pretty 

 well indicated by the hairy portions of the membranes in the genus 

 Lasiurus, excepting that it only occupies one-half of the interfemoral 

 membrane. 



In its general character, the fur is short, crisp and thick, having 

 a grizzly shining appearance, very similar to that of some of the 

 Soricidce. That of the head extends towards the nose, and covers 

 the whole of the face, being bounded anteriorly by a frill of stiff up- 

 right hairs ; that commencing near the corner of the mouth extends 

 upwards in front of the eye, and meets on the top of the nose with 

 the corresponding part of the other side of the face. On all the 

 upper parts of the body the fur is similar. It is dusky at its base, 

 and tipped for half its length with shining grey-brown, having a 

 slight tinge of olive. Beneath, the fur is brown at its base, with shi- 

 ning tips of grey-brown. The fur of the throat extends to the chin 

 and under lip, and densely covers the whole, excepting the extreme 

 edge of the lip. 



The whole of the cutaneous system is very dark -brown, with the 

 exception of the wrinkled part already mentioned, which is paler, 

 and tinged with yellowish. 



