100 



BULLETIN 57, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



1875. Xyctcrkhc (part; Xycterinw) Dobson, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th 



ser., XVI, p. 348, November, 1875. 

 1878. Kycterithr (part, Nyclcrinw) Dobson, Catal. Cliiropt. Brit. Mus., p. 163. 

 1886. Mrgadenitidw (part, Nyctcrinw) Gill, Standard Natural History, V, 



p. 165. 



1891. yijcteridw Flower and Lydekker, Mammals Living and Extinct, p- 658 

 (part). 



1892. Rhinolophidw (part; Megadenuatini part, Xyclerides) Winge, Jord- 

 fundne og nulevende Flagermus (Chiroptera) fra Lagoa Santa, Minas 

 Geraes, Brasilien, p. 24. 



Geographic distribution.— Africa, except northwestern portion; 



also the Malay Peninsula, Java, and Timor. 



Characters. — Humerus with trochiter small, about equal to trochin, 



not articulating with scapula, the two tubercles rising very slightly 



above head; epitrochlea very large, 

 with conspicuous styloid process, capi- 

 tellum carried outward beyond line of 

 shaft; second manal digit consisting 

 of well-developed metacarpal only; 

 third finger with two phalanges; 

 shoulder girdle normal except that 

 seventh cervical vertebra is fused with 

 dorsal, and keel of sternum is unusually 

 well developed, forming most of meso- 

 sternum, longitudinal portion of pre- 

 sternum is somewhat broadened, and 

 first rib is noticeably strengthened; 

 fibula absent; pelvis normal except 

 that as a whole it is unusually short 

 and broad, ischia wide apart posteri- 

 orly; skull (fig. 19) with postorbital 



processes present but obscured by the very broad supraorbital ridges ; 



interorbital region deeply concave; premaxillaries represented by 



palatal branches only, these bony throughout and completely filling 



space between maxillaries; teeth normal; tragus present, simple; 



muzzle with cutaneous outgrowths margining a deep longitudinal 



groove. 



History. — Though variously associated by the earlier authors with 



the Vespertilionida?, Phyllostomidsc, or Rhinolophida? this family 



was placed with the Megadermidse by Peters as long ago as 1865. 



Since then it has remained in this position, the two groups being 



regarded as sections of a family Megadermidaj or Nycteridse. 



Though undoubtedly this association is natural the peculiarities of 



the two seem great enough to warrant their recognition of separate 



families. 

 Remarks. — The Nycteridas are at once recognizable by their long 



tails included to the tip in membrane, large ears with well developed 



Fig. 19.— Nycteris javanica. Sembrong 

 River, Johobe. No. 112608. X 1£. 



