140 



The cranium exhibits some peculiarities worthy of note. Viewed 

 from above, the cerebral portion is seen to be about as much arched 

 as that of Vesp. Nattereri, and has a faint sagittal crest towards the 

 occipital region. Also there is a moderately pronounced occipital 

 crest, which becomes more strongly developed in the vicinity of the 

 acoustic elements of the skull. The auditory bulla? have much the 

 same form and proportion as the same parts in Vesp. Nattereri, and 

 the facial portion of the skull is proportioned much as in that species. 

 The orbital openings are of very moderate size, and the zygoma but 

 little arched, and very slender. The bony palate terminates a little 

 posteriorly to the last molar. The nasal opening is small, and the 

 intermaxillary bones meet in front, for the support of the contiguous 

 incisors, as mMiniopteris and Furipterus among the Vesper tilionina, 

 and Molossus, Rhinapoma, and Noctilio among the Noctilionina. 



The incisors in the upper jaw are two in number, large, conical, 

 and pointed. They are provided with a distinct cingulum, visible 

 in front, which passes into a well-marked basal lobe, or cusp, behind 

 the tooth. As the incisors are situated very near to the canines, and 

 are themselves in contact, this lobe is only visible when seen directly 

 from behind. The incisive foramina are two in number and very 

 minute. The canines are long, pointed, and triangular, without any 

 basal lobe. The next two teeth in the upper jaw present the same 

 forms which usually characterize the premolars in the insectivorous 

 Cheiroptera ; and the three remaining teeth, i. e. the molars, may be 

 similarly passed over. 



The hinder part of the lower jaw is formed very similarly to the 

 same part in the genus Vesperlilio, but has the posterior process less 

 produced. Another point of difference occurs in the form of a some- 

 what rounded posterior angle, something like that observable in Fu- 

 ripterus, but more nearly resembling the same part in the jaw of the 

 Ursus labiatus, and, as in the latter instance, very thin in substance 

 laterally. The jaw itself is straight, especially the alveolar margin, 

 which is in a line continuous with the posterior process. 



The canines in the lower jaw are of considerable size, and have a 

 basal lobe behind. They are nearly contiguous, and the incisors, 

 two in number, are placed in front of them as in some species of the 

 genus Molossus {Nyctinomus), and, as in that genus, are probably 

 lost with age. They are very small, feebly implanted in the jaw, 

 and have their tips trilobed. The next two teeth are of the usual 

 premolar type, such as we find in Vespertilio proper, and they are 

 succeeded by the three molars, presenting no marked peculiarities of 

 conformation. 



Dentition :— In. f ; Can. J=j ; Pre. Mol. |=| ; Mol. ~| =£ 



In the following Table of dimensions, column number 1 has been 

 taken from a large and probably adult specimen in the British Mu- 

 seum, and numbers 2 and 3 from specimens, perhaps not quite adult, 

 in my own collection. The latter one, having all the bones retained, 

 would furnish the more exact dimensions, but that it is probably im- 

 mature. From it the skull was extracted, from which the above 

 characters have been taken : — 



