154 



NlCTERlD.iE. 



Subfam. I. MEGADERMINiE. 



Nostrils at the bottom of a coucavity near the extremity of the 

 muzzle, concealed by the base of an erect cutaneous process ; tail 

 very short, in the base of the large interf emoral membrane ; pre- 

 maxillarr^s cartilaginous. 



1. MEGADERMA. 



Megaderma, Geoffroy, Annal. du Mus. xv. p. 197 (1810) ; Peters, 

 MB. Akad. Berl. 1872, p. 192 ; Dobson, ilonoyr. Asiat. Chirojit. 

 p. 7-5 (1876). 



Meg-aderma et Lavia, Gray, Mag. Zool. (^ JBot. ii. p. 490 (1838); 

 P. Z. S. 1866, p. 83. 



Muzzle cj'lindrical, elongated ; nostrils in a slight depression at 

 the extremity of the upper surface of the muzzle, surrounded by a 

 naked cutaneous expansion, which forms a vertical process poste- 

 riorly, and anteriorly is attached to or projects slightly beyond the 

 extremity of the muzzle ; lower lip projecting slightly beyond the 

 upper ; ears large, conjoined by part of their inner margins ; tragus 

 long, bifid ; wings ample, cutaneous system greatly developed 

 throughout ; a single very short bony phalanx in the index finger ; 

 fourth and fifth metacarpal bones progressively longer than the 

 third ; tibia very long : toes nearly equal in length ; outer or first 

 toe with two, the remaining toes with three phalanges each ; cal- 

 caneum distinct ; tail very short (of four or five very small but 

 distinct vertebrae), not discernible except in skeletons ; interfemoral 

 membrane large, concave behind ; a pair of pubal appendages as in 

 Khinolophus. 



Dentition. Inc. j, c. j^j, pm. ^^ or ^^, m. g^g. 



The first upper premolar small or absent ; last molar less than 

 half the antepenultimate molar. Skull much narrowed in front, so 

 that the posterior molars of opposite sides are much further apart 

 than the canines ; bony palate not extending backwards beyond the 

 last molar ; zygomatic arches very wide ; frontal bones flattened and 

 slightly expanded laterally ; the base of the postorbital process per- 

 forated by a small foramen ; the infraorbital foramen converted into 

 a long canal, opening anteriorly near the second premolar. 



Range. Ethiopian and Oriental Regions, one species extending also 

 into part of the Australian Eegion. 



This genus includes a few species of Bats of very peculiar aspect, 

 presenting in their general conformation scarcely any afiinities with 

 the species of any other genus. The absence of upper incisors, the 

 cylindrical narrow muzzle, the very peculiar nose-leaf and immense 

 connate ears with large bifid tragi, the remarkably large eyes (more 

 like those of the frugivorous Bats), and the apparent absence of the 

 tail, at once distinguish the genus. 



The colour of the fur and membranes (a light slaty blue) is also 

 very characteristic, and scarcely varies in the different species. The 



