THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OP BATS. 



81 



with two distinct bony phalanges; third digit with two well-de- 

 veloped phalanges, but no trac^of third; shoulder girdle (Plate XI, 

 fig. 1) normal, the seventh cervical vertebra not fused with first 

 dorsal; foot normal; fibula complete, threadlike; pelvis (Plate XI, 

 fig. 2-4) normal, the boundaries of the sacral vertebrae clearly indi- 

 cated; skull (fig. 11) without postorbital processes; premaxillaries 

 separate, not fusing with surrounding parts, the nasal branch well 

 developed, the palatal branch much shortened, appearing as a broadly 

 angular thickening of lower portion of nasal branch; palate ending 

 posteriorly in plane of last molars ; teeth of the normal insectivorous 

 type; tragus present, simple; muzzle with distinct ridgelike dermal 

 outgrowth. 



Remarks. — The family Rhinopomida? is strikingly characterized by 

 the presence of two phalanges in the second finger, the small trochiter 

 of the humerus forming no secondary articula- 

 tion with the scapula, the free premaxillaries 

 from which the palatal branch is nearly lack- 

 ing, and the absence of postorbital processes. 

 The strongly primitive shoulder joint, differ- 

 ing from that of the Megachiroptera merely in 

 the greater size of the humeral tuberosities, as 

 compared with the head of the bone, indicates 

 a low position for the group. This is con- 

 firmed by the retention of two distinct pha- 

 langes in the second finger, a character not 

 found elsewhere in the Microchiroptera, and 

 by the free premaxillaries closely resembling 

 those of the Pteropidse. As these primitive 

 characters are not offset by any strong spe- 

 cializations it seems proper to regard this family as the lowest of the 

 suborder. A similar conclusion was reached by Peters, and addi- 

 tional evidence in its favor has been brought forward by Winge, who, 

 however, assigns to the group a higher rank. 



Principal subdivisions. — The family Rhinopomida? is represented 

 by the single genus Rhinopoma. 



Fig. 11.— Rhinopoma micro- 

 thyllum. Immature fe- 

 male. Egypt. No. 37389. 

 X 1J. 



Genus RHINOPOMA Geoffroy. 



1813. Rhinopoma Geoffroy, Descr. de l'Egypte, II, p. 113. 

 1821. Rhynopoma Bowdich, Anal. Nat. Class. Mamm., p. 30. 

 1854. Rliinopomns Gervais, Hist. Nat. des Mamm., p. 202. 



Type-species. — Rhinopoma microphyllum Geoffroy = Vespertilio 

 microphyllum Briinnich. 



Geographic distribution. — Same as that of. the family '(p. 80). 

 25733— No, 57—07 m Q 



