ORDER CARNASSIER. 131 



This distinction holds good, also, in the teeth. The lower 

 incisors of the megadermes are four, well-ranged, and 

 slightly furrowed on the edges. The upper canines are re- 

 markable by three facettes, and the lower ones, by their cur- 

 vature backwards: a direction which is very rare, and 

 which may also contribute to prevent the development of 

 the intermaxillary bone. 



The cheek-teeth are eighteen, eight in the upper jaw, 

 and ten in the lower. The first upper one is trenchant, 

 compressed, and terminated by a long and fine point. The 

 two teeth which follow, present the figure of two M's 

 placed side by side, and the extreme points of which, are 

 marked by sharp tubercles. The last cheek-tooth, from 

 its smallness, might be taken for a moiety of the preceding 

 one. 



The lower cheek-teeth are compressed ; the two first are 

 simple, triangular, and with but a single point ; the three 

 others somewhat longer, bristling with four points, formed 

 on a kind of double plan, the most projecting side of which, 

 is in front. 



It is easy, from this description, to perceive that these 

 teeth approximate more to the cheek-teeth of flesh-eating 

 animals than of the insectivora. The megadermes too, may 

 be probably distinguished from the other bats, with nasal 

 leaves, by a more decided taste for flesh. 



There are two characters in which the megadermes re- 

 semble the vampire. They manifest no appearance of tail, 

 and the interfemoral membrane, which comprises the en- 

 tire space between the under extremities, is cut in a square 

 form, from that point where it ceases to be supported by 

 its osselets. 



Such are the grounds upon which M . Geoffroy was led to 

 consider the Vesp. Spasma, and its congeners, as forming 

 an isolated group, separated from the other cheiroptera by 



K 2 



