130 CLASS MAMMALIA, 



The ears are of such an excessive amplitude, that they 

 meet, and unite on the top of the head. 



Even to the leaf itself, there is a sort of supplement at 

 its base, in the form of a lamina, which forms a second 

 covering for the basis of the cone, and which is disposed 

 on the sides into auricles for the nasal apertures. 



It sometimes happens that certain organs augment at the 

 expense of the neighbouring parts. It is a question if the 

 development of the leaf may not exercise some influence of 

 this kind on the intermaxillary bone. It is most certain 

 that this bone is reduced to so mere a rudiment, that 

 M. Geoffroy could discover no traces of it in the two rae- 

 gadermes of India, nor Daubenton in the Senegal species. 

 To deny its existence altogether, seems, however, to be a 

 proposition inconsistent with zoological analogy, and indeed 

 with common sense. , It is more natural and reasonable to 

 suppose that there is an intermaxillary bone in the mega- 

 dermes as in the rhinolphi, but that it is small, suspended 

 in the cartilages, and that it may frequently disappear. Its 

 character of fragility, and very accessible situation, render 

 it difficult for it to resist the least efforts. 



We shall not be surprised to find that the upper inci- 

 sives do not exist, when the piece in which they should be 

 inserted is wanting. But though they have not been found 

 in such of the megadermes as have been submitted to the 

 inspection of naturalists, we are not to suppose they may 

 not exist in other individuals. It is most likely that, as 

 with the rhinolphi, they share the fate of the intermaxillary 

 bone, and that they exist with it, probably, to the number 

 of two. This conjecture acquires additional force from the 

 perfect resemblance of the upper maxillaries in the mega- 

 dermes and the rhinolphi. 



It may also be observed that this resemblance in the dis- 

 position of the maxillaries, serves to remove the mega- 

 dermes a degree further still from the phyllostomata. 



