Lect. VII.] COMB-LIKE TEETH OF COLUGO. 177 



one stick ; yet other kinds must have existed; and 

 the supposed and the actual, put together, might have 

 served to make a new family, the " Galeopithecidce." 



The parachute of this beast is very perfect, more 

 perfect than that of the flying Phalanger, or the flying 

 Squirrel; the fold or skin runs over the dorsum of both 

 hands and feet up to the nails, along the sides of the 

 neck, and in front of the arms, and also along the sides 

 of the tail, behind the legs and thighs. 



Some Bats (Desmodus) have their front teeth slightly 

 notched, but the Colugo, having only the side incisors, 

 above, has the middle and next incisor, below, notched 

 up to its "cingulum" into eight or nine toothlets — Kke 

 a comb. 



No other Mammal has such teeth as these. The 

 molars and premolars are strong and large, and they 

 are socketed in a very strong and solid jaw; it is a 

 vegetable feeder. Between the upper jaws the hard- 

 palate is very large, both in width and length, and is 

 very complete ; quite unlike the Metatherian palate, 

 and that of many of the more typical Insectivores. The 

 cheek bones, also, are large and strong, but the post- 

 orbital region is open to the wide temporal region, 

 which is a huge fossa for the large temporal muscles. 

 In one respect the only skulls that come near that of 

 the Colugo are those of the winged forms, both of the 

 Sauropsida and Mammalia — Birds and Bats. In these 

 skulls the landmarks are all gone, except the holes for 



M 



