THE FAMILIES AND GENEEA OF BATS. 101 



tragi, and the deep frontal grove, margined by leaf-like outgrowth. 

 Other diagnostic characters are the absence of the fibula, the well- 

 developed palatal branches of the premaxillaries, and the peculiar 

 structure of the frontal region of the skull. 



Principal subdivisions. — The family Nycteridse contains the single 

 genus Nycteris. 



Genus NYCTERIS Geoffroy. 



1795. Nycteris Geoffroy and Cuvieb, Magasin RtK\v eloped ique, 1" annee, 



II, p. 180 (noiiien nudum). 

 1803. Nycteris Geoffkoy, Cat. Mamm. Mus. National Hist. Nat., ]>. 04. 



1803. Nicteris Desmabest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist Nat., XV, p. 501. 

 1813. Nycterus G. Fischer, Zoognosia, 3d ed., I, p. 18. 



1838. Petalia Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot, II, p. 494. {javanica.) 

 1800. Nycterops Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 83. ( pilosa=hispida.) 

 I860. Pelatia Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, p. 83. (.javanica.) 

 1878. Nycteris Dobson, Catal. Chiropt. Brit. Mus., p. 101. 



Type-species. — Vespertilio hispidus Schreber. 



Geographic distribution. — Africa, except northwestern portion ; 

 also the Malay Peninsula, Java, and Timor. 



Number of forms. — About a dozen forms of Nycterix are known, 

 all but one of them African. 



Characters. — The essential characters of the genus are the same as 

 those of the family. In addition may be mentioned : Dental formula, 



-2 3. 1. 45 67 . 2-2 1-1 1-1 3-3 



12 3. 1. -2-4567*3- 3' c l- V^ m 2 - 2 1 m 3 - 2,~ 6 ' 

 upper incisors trifid, almost exactly resembling the lower both in 

 size and form ; outer lower incisor with crown not quite as large and 

 distinctly trifid as in the two others; other teeth showing no special 

 peculiarities, m 1 and m z with large postero-internal heel, but no 

 hypocone, m 3 with metacone, mesostyle, and three commissures ; pm 4 

 very small, almost concealed by pm 3 and m ± . 



Species examined. — Nycteris cethiopica Dobson, N. capensis Smith, 

 N. fuliginosa Peters, N. grandis Peters, N. hispida (Schreber), N. 

 javanica Geoffroy, N . luteola Thomas, N. thebiaca Geoffroy. 



Family MEGADEEMID^E. 



1821. Vespertilionidm (part; Race 1, part) Gray, London Medical Reposi- 

 tory, XV, p. 299, April 1, 1821. 



1827. Rhinolophina, Lesson, Man. de Mammalogie, p. 81 (part). 



1831. YespertiUones (YexpertiHonida;) (part; Phyllostomina. part) Bona- 

 parte, Saggio di una distrib. methodica degli Anim. Vert., p. 15. 



1838. Yespertilionidw (part; Rhinolophina, part) Bonapabte, Nuovi Annali 

 delle Scienze Naturali, Bologna, Anno I, Tomo II, p. 112. 



1838. Vespertilionida: (part ; Phyllostomina, part) Gray, Mag. Zool. and 

 Bot, II, p. 480. December, 1838. 



1854. [Rhinolophidce] " Rhinolophid§s " Gervais, Hist. Nat. des Mammi- 

 feres, p. 200 (part). 



1804. Megadermatidw H. Allen, Monogr. Bats N. Amer., p. 1 (part ; Macro- 

 tus=Otopterus, and Megaderma, are the only genera mentioned). 



