4 





1- 



-1 





2- 



-2 





3- 



-3 



4 ' 



; c. 



1- 



Ii' 



liym. 



3- 



-3' 



m. 



3- 



-3" 



204 G. E. Dobson — On the Pteropidce of India. [No. 3, 



Genus IV. — Eontcteeis, (nov.) 

 Nostrils not projecting ; upper Up with a shallow vertical groove in 

 front ; index finger without a claw ; thumb short, part of terminal phalanx 

 included in the wing-onemhrane ; metacarpal hone of second finger equal to 

 the index finger in length; wings from the sides of the hairy hack ; wing- 

 membrane from the hase of the first toe ; tail short, distinct. 



Dentition : — in. 



First upper premolar minute. 



EoisnrcTERis spel^ea. PI. XIV, Fig. 10. 



Macroglossus spelceus, Dobson, Journ. A. S. B., 1871, p. 261, pi. x, fig. 3, 4. 

 When first describing this species, I placed it in the genus Macroglos- 

 sus on account of its very close resemblance to Jif. minimus, the type of that 

 genus, in the form, number and arrangement of the teeth. Subsequently, 

 however, in the MS. of a ' Catalogue of Chiroptera in the Indian Museum' 

 I placed it in a separate subgenus ' Eongcteris' on account of the very differ- 

 ent attachment of the wing-membrane to the foot and sides. Lately, Dr. 

 Peters writes to me that he is convinced, after a very careful examination 

 of specimens sent to him from the Indian Museum, that the differences exist- 

 ing between this species and M. minimus are of generic importance, and 

 require the formation of a new genus for its reception. 



Since I described this species in 1871 I have come to regard the denti- 

 tion of the Chiroptera as of less importance in their classification than many 

 other characters. I believe that, although the teeth of Macroglossus mini- 

 mus and Tlonycteris spelcea correspond very closely, these species yet present 

 many structural differences of more than subgeneric importance, and I agree 

 with Dr. Peters that the latter species should be placed in a separate genus. 

 I have, accordingly, raised my subgenus ' Eonycteris' to the rank of a dis- 

 tinct genus of JBteropidcd. 



Genus V. — Macroglossus, F. Cuvier. 

 Nostrils not projecting, upper lip not grooved in front ; index finger with 

 a distinct claw ; thwnh moderate ; metacarpal hone of second finger equal to, 

 or longer than, index finger ; wings from the sides, their points of attachment 

 separated hy a considerable interval from the spine : wing-membrane from 

 the base of the fourth toe ; tail very short. 



Dentition : — m. - ; c- ; Pt^^- ; 'in. 3—3. 



4 ' 1—1 ' ^ 3—3 ' 3_3 



