PTEROPUS JAVANICUS. 
of illustrating the generic character in a satisfactory manner, For this purpose, the 
species selected for the present article is more particularly calculated : it is the largest 
hitherto discovered, and all the characters exist in a complete state of development. 
It may, however, be proper for me to state in this place, that the following details are 
not given as an original illustration of this genus ; this has already been afforded to 
the scientific Public, both by M. Geoffroy-Saint-Hilaire, and by M. Fr6d. Cuvier. I 
mention particularly the details of the latter, contained in his " Memoires sur de 
nouveaux caracteres pour les genres des Mammiferes," published in the Annales du 
Museum, he, to which Memoirs I have on various subjects in the course of this 
Work, already referred with acknowledgment. But entertaining the desire to supply 
to the animals successively described, all the illustration which the materials in the 
Museum at the India House afford, I trust the present discussion on this genus will 
not be unacceptable to the patrons of these Researches, 
On the Plate of Illustrations I have represented, with all possible accuracy, the 
skull and the teeth of the Pteropus javanicus, of natural size ; but before I proceed 
to the description of them in detail, I shall enumerate the essential characters of this 
genus, as given by M. Geoffroy and the Baron Cuvier. By the former they are 
comprised in the following terms : — crown of the grinders large, and term mated by 
two ridges: second finger of the hand provided with an unguiculate phalanx* 
M. Cuvier concisely expresses them thus : — the grinders have two longitudinal and 
parallel projections, separated by a groove, which are worn by detrition. As the 
celebrated Illiger has not included this peculiarity in his generic description, I have 
added it to the citation of this genus from his prodromus, placed at the head of this 
article. In the Plate of Illustrations, Figure Q represents the skull of the Pteropus 
javanicus. The form of 1 the skull, its relative proportions, and the limits of the 
intermaxillary bone are distinctly exhibited. This species affords a sample of the 
genus in its intermediate state, between the extremes of elongation and brevity of 
the rostrum : the latter here constitutes about one third of the length of the skull ; 
in other species it bears a much smaller proportion ; in the Pteropus rostratus it is 
comparatively much longer. The longitudinal crest along the highest part of the 
skull is distinctly exhibited: an accurate examination of the skulls of the individuals 
of this genus may assist in future in affording distinctions, where other characters 
are insufficient. 
The teeth are 34 in number : namely, 
In the Upper Jaw — 4 front teeth, 2 canine teeth, and 10 grinders. 
In the Lower Jaw — 4 ditto 2 ditto 12 ditto 
In the upper jaw the front teeth are semicircularly arranged, at equal distances ; 
they arc cylindrical, and present a transverse edge by the detrition of their inner 
