DR. F. A. JENTINK. MAMMALS. 167 



skull ariiensis (Cat. «')... 379 (papnana). 



distance from orbit to end of nasalia ... 2g mm 32 mm. 



height of lower jaw 36 mm 34 mm. 



length upper molar séries 23.5 mm 25 mm. 



The molars of aruensis are implanted close together, while in papuana there is a 

 rather wide space between two succeeding teeth, much wider than in other species known by 

 me. In very young skulls there is an anterior upperpremolar, as generally in young spécimens 

 a feeble sharply pointed tooth and the premolars and molars both in upper and lower jaw 

 show only a trace of cusps; in the adult skulls however there is no anterior upper premolar 

 and nearly no trace at ail of cusps, the molars being rounded off, not as usually worn fiât, 

 meanwhile as I remarked the theeth are set rather far apart, so that the dentition makes an 

 unique impression, the more as the molars are dark brown throughout. Palate-ridges and 

 dentition as figured on Plate VII, figs. a, b, c. 



Dobsonia magna Thomas. 



N°. 351. Adult Q. Alkmaar, November 1909 (forearm 144 mm.). 

 N°. 357. Adult Q. Alkmaar, October 18. 1909 (forearm 157 mm.). 

 N°. 358. Adult Ç. Alkmaar, October 20. 1909 (forearm 149 mm.). 

 N°. 365. Adult Ç. Alkmaar, December 18. 1909 (forearm 140 mm.). 

 N°. 366. Adult Ç. Alkmaar, December 18. 1909 (forearm 139 mm.). 



According to Dr. ANDERSEN there are presently known 12 species belonging to the 

 genus Dobsonia and among them from New Guinea the largest of ail species, called by Thomas 

 Dobsonia magna : range — the whole of New Guinea, Misol and Waigëu (Andersen, Ann. 

 Mag. Nat. Hist. 1909, p. 530) — besides the smallest of ail species, Dobsonia minor Dobson, 

 from Amberbaken. As minor has a forearm of 80 mm. and magna of 146 — 152.5 mm. it is 

 not dubious to which of the two species our spécimens from Alkmaar belong, the tallest 

 having a forearm of 157 mm., that is still more than 5 mm. longer than ANDERSEN's 

 maximum (p. 530). It is a very curious thing that in New Guinea there are living the largest 

 and the smallest of the 12 species distinguished by Dr. ANDERSEN, nay that in the North 

 Western part of New Guinea are living spécimens of the largest and of the smallest species 

 at a rather short distance, f. i. an adult maie, collected by V. ROSENBERG at Andai with a 

 forearm of 150 mm. (cf. table facing p. 168, Notes Leyden Muséum, 1906) and therefore a 

 Dobsonia magna, while at Amberbaken has been collected the type-specimen of Dobsonia 

 minor with a forearm of 80 mm. The large size of our Lorentz-rivier-specimens proves that I 

 was right (N. L. M. 1906, p. 171) suggesting that the east-wards-living spécimens of paliata, 

 generally sproken, attain a larger size than those from the western parts of their distribution. 

 Time must learn us whether Dr. ANDERSEN was right in his admirable paper, quoted above, 

 in accepting only twelve species, as he took in considération chiefiy the length of the fore- 

 arm, besides for some forms also the dention; the more as thèse species generally hâve been 

 based upon a minimum of spécimens, mostly in dry, i. e. bad, condition and collected more 

 or less than half a century past, so that they hâve been partly bleached ont. 



1) Catalogue ostéologique des Mammifères du Muséum d'Histoire naturelle ,j es Pays-Bas, 1887, p. 256. 



