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Show 324 MR. O. THOMAS ON B A T S [Mar. 15, This discovery and that of the highly interesting West-African Megaloglossus ivoermanni, Pagenst.1, of which I have seen a beautiful spirit specimen from Liberia in the Leyden Museum, render the synopsis of genera in Dr. Dobson's Catalogue of Chiroptera somewhat obsolete, since, according to Dr.Dobson's synopsis, Nesonycteris would come next to Notopteris and Eonycteris instead of to Melonycteris, its nearest ally. I have therefore thought it convenient to draw up the following synopses of the Macroglossine genera, the first based solely on the soft-part and external characters, and the second on those of the skull and teeth. I. External or Soft-part Characters. A. Tail very short; wings from the sides of the back. a. Wing-membrane from the base of the first toe ; no claw on index , 1. EONYCTERIS. b. Wing-membrane from the third, or second and third toes. a'. A claw on index. a". Posterior palate-ridges undivided 2. MACROGLOSSUS. b". Posterior palate-ridges divided in centre. a'". Lower part of rhinarium broad, convex laterally 3. MEGALOGLOSSUS. b'". Lower part of rhinarium narrow, concave laterally 4. MELONYCTERIS. b'. N o claw on index. Palate-ridges and rhinarium as Melonycteris 5. NESONYCTERIS. B. Tail long; wings from centre of back; no claw on index 6. NOTOPTERIS. II. Cranial and Dental Characters. A. Pm.1 above and below small, single-rooted. a. Penultimate molar many times as large as last 1. EONYCTERIS. b. Penultimate molar but little larger than last. a'. Pm.1 nearly as large as that next behind it; premaxillae united 2. MACROGLOSSUS. b'. Pm.1 minute. a". Middle premolar three fourths as long as the canine 3. MEGALOGLOSSUS 2. b". Middle premolar barely one third as long as the canine ; premaxilla. separate. o a'". Incisors s 4. MELONYCTERIS. b'". Incisors j 5. NESONYCTERIS. B. Pm.1 above and below long, double-rooted 6. NOTOPTERIS. 7. NESONYCTERIS WOODFORDI, sp. n.3 (Plate XXVI.) a. Ad. sk. 2 • Fauro Island, 5/86. b, c. Ad. sk. c? and yg. al. Alu, Shortland Island, 4/86. Strikingly like Melonycteris melanops \ Dobs., in size, proportions, shape and length of ears, and in the colour and texture of the fur of 1 JB. Hamb. ii. p. 125, pl. i. (1885). 2 For several details connected with the dentition of this interesting genus, I am indebted to Dr. F. A. Jentink, of the Leyden Museum. 3 Preliminary diagnosis published, Ann. & Mag. N. H. (5) xix. p. 147, Feb. 1887. 4 Figured, P. Z. S. 1877, pl. xvii. |
