1 60 NYCTEKID J:. 



but nearly equal to it in breadth, also acutely pointed and clothed 

 with soft hair. Nose-leaf very large, nearly as long as the head, 

 slightly convex on the sides, abruptly truncated above, the anterior 

 portion with an expanded thin free margin, forming a narrow, but 

 considerably elevated, fold in the centre ; nostrils, as in the other 

 species, at the bottom of a deep concavity, concealed by the ex- 

 X)anded base of a central longitudinal crest, somewhat similar in 

 shape to that of M. lyra, but much larger. The posterior erect 

 portion of the leaf covered with fine hairs (Plate X. fig. 3). 



Fur above and beneath deep slate-blue. 



Wing-membrane from the back of the foot from the space be- 

 tween the bases of the first and second toes ; interfemoral membrane 

 and calcaneum as in M. lyra. 



Frontal bones deeply grooved, much flattened and expanded late- 

 rally, forming large postorbital processes as in the genus Nycteris 

 (Plate X. fig. 3 a). The cartilaginous premaxillary bones more 

 developed than in any of the other species (fig. 36). 



Length, head and body 2"'6, interfemoral membrane 1"'8, head 1", 

 ear l"-65. nose-leaf 0"-9, tragus l"-05, forearm 2"-2, thumb 0""45, 

 third finger 4"-l, fifth finger 3", tibia 0"-6, foot 0"-6. 



Hah. Tropical parts of West and East Africa, from the coast of 

 Guinea to Abyssinia and Zanzibar. 



The only information we possess on the habits of this species 

 (which differs so remarkably in structure from aU the other species 

 of this genus) is contained in the following note by Capt. J. H. 

 Speke :^" This Bat was shot flying at Meninga. They were nume- 

 rous, but rose singly from the ground, and alighted sometimes in 

 the bushes, sometimes again in the grass " * 



This appears to indicate that M. frons hunts for its prey by day 

 as well as by night ; and the large size of the eyes in this as well 

 as in the other species of Megaderma leads us to consider this very 

 probable. Mr. Blyth has shown that M. lyra feeds on grasshoppers 

 and small Bats (and probably on other small animals) ; and the 

 individuals of M. frons observed by Capt. Speke may have been 

 engaged in hunting for grasshoppers and small mammals among the 

 long grass. 



a-d. ad. sk. Gambia. 



c. ad. sk. Clan Nil (?). Purchased. 



/. S ad., al. Khartoiun. Purchased. 



g, h. 5 (juv. et ad.) al. W. Africa. Mr. Eraser's Collection. 



i,J. ? ad., al. Dar-es-Salam. Dr. Kirk [C.]. 



k. sk. 



I. skeleton. Purchased. 



m. skull of J. 



n. skull. Cape Coast Castle. F. Williams, Esq. [P.]. 



* P. Z. S. 1864, p. 99. 



