/ . NOTOPTERIS. 93 



between ; ears simple, separate ; index iinger without a claw ; wings 

 from the central line of the back precisely as in Cephalotes, and from 

 the metacarpal bone of the second toe ; tail long, far exceeding the 

 short interfemoral membrane. 



Dentition. Inc. ?=?, c. ^, pm. ?=H, m. ?=|. 



Tongue very long and attenuated. 



This genus, represented by a single species only, is distinguished 

 from all the known genera of this family by the remarkable length 

 of the tail, and the very peculiar dentition described further on. 



1. Notopteris macdonaldii. 

 Notopteris macdonaldii, Gray, P. Z. S. 1859, p. 38, pi. Ixvii. 



Head long, abruptly narrowed in front of the eyes, forming a very 

 narrow, cylindrical, pointed muzzle ; nasal apertures semilunate, 

 opening sublaterally ; the margins of the nostrils not prominent, 

 almost level with the surrounding surface of the muzzle, the end of 

 the muzzle marked by a very slight groove in front between the 

 nostrils ; ears as long as the muzzle, oval, very similar to those of 

 Cephalotes peronii in shape, but comparatively broader, with a pro- 

 minent thickened lobule at the base of the outer margin of the ear- 

 conch, separated posteriorly by an angular notch ; eyes large, much 

 nearer to the ears than to the extremity of the muzzle ; " iris dark 

 hazel " (Dr. Macdonald). 



Thumb rather short, the first phalanx free from the antebrachial 

 membrane ; index finger equal to the metacarpal bone of the middle 

 finger in length, without a claw ; tail nearly as long as the forearm, 

 the base only connected with the short interfemoral membrane ; cal- 

 canea short, very feeble ; wings from the base of the metacarpal bone 

 of the second toe, and from the centre line of the back, precisely as 

 in Cephalotes peronii ; the back apparently naked, as in that species, 

 from the inferior angle of the scapula backwards, but reaUy well 

 covered with hair and concealed by the naked wing-membrane. 



Muzzle nearly naked, the sides with a few long, erect, straight 

 hairs ; wing-membranes naked above or with a few scattered hairs 

 only. 



Tut, above, pale reddish brown, with a few greyish or shining 

 hairs ; beneath, paler. 



Skull narrow, smooth, without ridges or crests ; postorbital pro- 

 cesses of the frontal very short ; zygomatic arches slender ; pre- 

 maxillary bones slender, not united in front, each with a small outer 

 incisor, and a rudimentary inner incisor not appearing above the 

 alveolus, so that in recent specimens there appears to be but a single 

 upper incisor on each side ; a single mimite lower incisor on each 

 side close to the canine ; upper canines large, longitudinally grooved 



in front. 



Premolars very different in form from those in any other species 

 of Pteropodidce. First upper premolar close to the canine, separated 

 by a slight interval from the next tooth, larger than any of the sue- 



