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Show 1875.] MR. G. E. DOBSON ON THE GENUS TAPHOZOUS. 547 toe shortest; tail perforating the interfemoral membrane and appearing on its upper surface, capable of being partially withdrawn. Dentition.-Inc. ~ ; C.~; Pm. g ; M. §=§. Premaxillaries cartilaginous, supporting a pair of small weak incisors often absent in adult animals; canines rather close together, much curved forwards, separated from the second premolar by a wide space in which the first minute premolar scarcely appears above the level of the gum ; second upper premolar exceeding the molar in vertical extent; last molar consisting of a narrow transverse bony lamina; mesopterygoid fossa very narrow, the pterygoid plates terminating in long hamular processes; immediately behind, the basisphenoid is deeply excavated on either side of a narrow longitudinal bony ridge which connects the roof of the mesopterygoid fossa with the basioccipital, the excavations forming corresponding elevations on the floor of the brain-case; postorbital processes very long, connected by ligament with the zygoma, and thus completely circumscribing the orbit. _. Fig. 1. Ali^\ / \ ' -&£\\ JRksAil 1/ '•' "'% if fmcWmSSml^^P\*y $ Taphozous longimanus. $ Most of the species of this genus have a peculiar glandular sac (see fig. 1) placed between the angles of the lower jaw-a sexual character; for, while always more developed in males than in females, in some species while distinct in the male it is quite absent in the female. The width of the opening of the sac is nearly equal to half the distance between the angles of the jaw; and the direction of the opening is anterior. This open gular sac is quite absent in both sexes in T. melanopogon, but about its usual position the openings of small pores may be seen, the secretion exuding from which probably causes the hairs in this situation to grow very long, forming the black beard found in many male specimens of this species. In the greater number of species, also, a small band of integument passes from the inferior surface of the forearm near its distal extremity to the proximal extremity of the fifth metacarpal bone, forming a small pouch with the wing-membrane-the radio-metacarpal pouch. This genus is limited to the tropical and subtropical regions of the Eastern Hemisphere, in which it is widely distributed. The distribution of the species is shown as follows :- Africa and its islands 3 North-eastern Africa and South-western Asia. . I Asia and Malayana 5 Australia and New Guinea 1 |
