THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OF BATS. 
81 ‘ 
with two distinct bony phalanges; third digit with two well-de- 
veloped phalanges, but no trace 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 Rhinopomidae 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 Pteropidae. 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 Rhinopomidae is represented 
by the single genus Rhinopoma. 
Genus RHINOPOMA Geoffroy. 
1813. Rhinopoma Geoffroy, Descr. de PEgypte, II, p. 113. 
1821. Rhynopoma Bowdich, Anal. Nat. Class. Mamm., p. 30. 
1854. Rhinopomns Gervais, Hist. Nat. des Mamm., p. 202. 
Type-species. — Rhinopoma microphyllum Geoffroy = V espertilio. 
microphyllum Briinnich. 
Geographic distribution. — Same as that of the family (p. 80). N 
. 25733— No, 57—07 u — : — G 
Fig. 11.— Rhinopoma micro- 
phyllum. Immature fe- 
male. Egypt. No. 37389. 
x li. 
