8. DICLIDURITS. 391 



Group DICLIDUllI. 



8. DICLIDURUS. 



Diclidurus, Wied, Isis, 1819, p. 1629: Beitr. Natargcsch. Brasil. 

 Bd. ii. p. 239 (1826). 



Head and ears very similar to those of Taphozous, the forehead 

 with a deej) concavity ; nostrils opening by wide horizontal valvular 

 apertures ; eyes remarkably large ; sides of the muzzle not grooved, 

 as in Taphozous ; thumb very short, with a rudimentary claw, and 

 almost wholly contained within the wing-membrane, as in Furia ; 

 the greater part of the tail inferior to the interfemoral membrane, 

 and enclosed in a process derived from its inferior surface, its 

 extremity contained ia a pouch formed in the centre of the mem- 

 brane, which it perforates. 



Dentition. Inc. i=i, c. i^i, pm. I^g^ m. |^. 



Upper incisors separated from the canines and also in front ; the 

 first upper premolar minute. 



Range. Neotropical Eegion (Mexican and Brazilian Subregions). 



1. Diclidurus albus. 



Diclidurus albus, Wied, Isis, 1810, p. 1630 ; Beitr. Naturgesch. Brasil. 



Bd. ii. p. 242, pi. i. figs. a-M (skuU and teeth) (1826). 

 Diclidurus fi'e-\Teissii, Wied, Ahbild. zur Naturgesch. Brasil. pi. xvi. ; 



Gray, Mag'. Zool. ^- Bot. ii. p. 502 (1838). 



Ears much shorter than the head, rounded off above ; outer 

 margin of the ear-conch straight, not emarginate, terminating ab- 

 ruptly below the eye on a lower level than the angle of the mouth : 

 tragus short and rather broad, maintaining the same breadth from 

 the base of the inner margin upwards ; superior margin straight, 

 equal in length to the inner margin ; outer margin straight, without 

 lobule or emargination (Plate XX. fig. 7). 



The very short terminal phalanx of the thumb ends in a subacute 

 point, the termination of a rudimentary claw. At its terminal third 

 the tail becomes included in the interfemoral membrane, which 

 forms a pouch in the centre of its inferior surface ; the extremity of 

 the tan perforates the centre of this pouch, and the whole pouch is 

 folded transversely upon itself, and by its posterior and upper 

 surface upon the upper surface of the interfemoral membrane ; the 

 sides of this pouch are strengthened by a band passing upwards 

 and outwards towards the knee (Plate XX. fig. la). 



Wings from the ankles or tarsi ; calcaneum nearly as long as the 

 tibia • feet slender, toes equal in length ; as if to compensate for 

 the want of a claw on the thumb, the foot- claws are much curved 

 and exceedingly sharp. ,,,,,, ,, . i. « ^.i. 



Pur above and beneath, dark at the base, the greater part of the 

 hairs to the tip yellowish or creamy white ; integumentary system 

 white throughout. 



