The habits of this Bat are very peculiar. It usually takes up its

residence in church-towers and other buildings, but sometimes in hollow

trees, and always in the vicinity of water, its active life being

passed in flying over the surface of water. Its flight is not very

rapid, and is performed by means of very slight but rapid strokes of

the wings. It flies usually close to the surface, and from time to time

dips its nose into the water, probably for the purpose of drinking.

This Bat is gregarious in its habits, great flocks being generally seen

flying about together, and considerable numbers always inhabit the

same retreat. In confinement it seems to be very delicate, and does

not live long; but it is quiet and gentle in its behaviour, and will

drink milk from the palm of the hand, and feed upon small pieces of

meat and house flies. The latter, according to Mr. Bell’s editors, are

favourite morsels with these Bats, and “it was curious,” they say, “to

see them poke their little noses between the fingers for flies which

were concealed there. A fly put on a smooth table was always a tempting

but tantalising bait for them, for the Bats, in attempting to take hold

of it, almost invariably pushed it to the outside of the table, from

which it fell and was lost.” In Britain, Daubenton’s Bat has been taken

in various localities, extending as far north as Aberdeenshire; and in

Ireland it has occurred in Donegal and Kildare.

THE WHISKERED BAT.[201]

The Whiskered Bat inhabits all Central Europe from the Alps to

Finland, and from Russia to Ireland. It is also found among the

Himalayas, and is said by Schrenck to occur in the Amoor country, so

that its distribution in Asia is probably rather wide. In England its

occurrence has been recorded in Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, and

Warwickshire, at Colchester and at Chislehurst, and in Ireland in the

county of Clare. The Whiskered Bat is a small species, the head and

body measuring only one inch and two-thirds in length. Its colour is

dark chestnut-brown above, ashy-brown beneath; the ears bend outwards

and have the outer margin notched; the tragus is half the length of

the ear; the face is very hairy, and the hairs on the upper lip are

longer than the rest, so as to form a moustache, whence the name of

the species. This Bat is solitary, being generally found singly in

its resting-places, which consist of holes in walls, the roofs of

houses, and, in general, any dark crevice or corner. It resembles the

Pipistrelle in its flight and general habits, and is doubtless often

mistaken for that species.[202]

THE BLACK AND ORANGE BAT.[203]

This species, which has been referred by various authors to different

genera, is especially remarkable for its peculiar coloration. The

muzzle is of a conical form; the ears ovate, with the rounded tips

projecting outwards, so as to render the outer margin concave for some

distance; the tragus long, narrow, and obtusely pointed; the fur is

soft and thick, of a reddish-yellow colour above, and pale yellowish

beneath; and the wing-membranes, which are very broad, are singularly

variegated with bright orange and brownish-black. The dark portions

form irregularly triangular patches on the membranes between the second

and third and third and fourth fingers, and between the fourth finger

and a line drawn from the wrist to the ankle. All the rest of the

membrane, including the ears and interfemoral membrane, are orange,

this colour forming narrow bands along the course of the fingers, and

also extending more or less in the form of specks and streaks over the

dark patches. The length of the head and body in this Bat is from two

inches and a third to two inches and a half, and the expanse of the

wings twelve inches and a half. It is found in the Himalayan region in

Nepaul and at Darjeling, in the Khasia Hills, and in China at Shanghai,

Kiang, and Amoy.

[Illustration: BLACK AND ORANGE BAT.]

This beautiful Bat presents a remarkable resemblance in coloration to

another Eastern species (the Painted Bat), to which we shall presently

refer; and, indeed, by some zoologists it has been placed in the same

genus (_Kerivoula_) with the latter. Mr. Swinhoe, in his memoir on

the Mammals of Formosa (_Proc. Zoo. Soc._, 1862, p. 357), refers to a

species which he regards as allied to the Black and Orange Bat and the

Painted Bat, but which was most probably the former, in the following

terms:--“The body of this Bat was of an orange-brown, but the wings

were painted with orange-yellow and black. It was caught, suspended

head downwards, on a cluster of the round fruit of the Longan tree

(_Nephelium longanum_). Now this tree is an evergreen, and all the year

through some portion of its foliage is undergoing decay, the particular

leaves being, in such a stage, partially orange and black. This Bat

can therefore at all seasons suspend from its branches, and elude its

enemies by its resemblance to the leaf of the tree. It was in August

when this specimen was brought to me. It had at that season found the

fruit ripe and reddish-yellow, and had tried to escape observation in

the semblance of its own tints to those of the fruit.” This example

of “protective mimicry,” if such is really its nature, is reproduced,

as already stated, in the Painted Bat, and also, as remarked by Mr.

Dobson, in Welwitsch’s Bat from Western Africa.

THE PAINTED BAT.[204]

A small group of Bats, nearly related to the preceding, is

distinguished as forming a distinct genus under the name of

_Kerivoula_, originally proposed and founded on a native Cingalese

name by the late Dr. Gray. These Bats have the apertures of the

nostrils perfectly circular; the first and second pre-molars in the

upper jaw nearly as large as the third pre-molar, the ears large and

funnel-shaped, the outer portion sweeping forward very much, and the

spur of the heel long and stout, and curved backwards.

The Painted Bat (_Kerivoula picta_) has been already referred to as

one of the species remarkable for their coloration. It is a small

species, having the head and body only an inch and a half to an inch

and three-quarters long. Its fur is of a deep orange colour above and

paler beneath. The ears and interfemoral membrane, and the portions of

membrane in front of the bones of the arm, are likewise deep orange,

as are also the basal portions of the wing-membranes, broad bands

bordering all the bones of the arms and fingers, and the hinder margin

of the portions of membrane between the feet and the extremities of the

fourth fingers, and the remainder of the wing-membranes being occupied

by large triangular patches of deep black, more or less variegated with

orange spots and streaks.

This remarkable Bat is found in many parts of the Peninsula of India,

and also in Ceylon, Burmah, Sumatra, and Java; in fact, Mr. Dobson

thinks that it is probably distributed in all parts of tropical Asia.

It haunts the forests, and is very active in pursuit of insects. When

disturbed in the day-time, according to Dr. Jerdon, it looks more like

a Butterfly or a Moth than a Bat, and we may easily believe that the

character and arrangement of its colours will give it an exceedingly

un-batlike aspect. For its place of repose it selects the folded leaf

of the plantain, and, according to Dr. Kelaart, its native Cingalese

name of “Kehelvoulha” (from which the generic name is derived)

signifies “Plantain Bat.” The other species of this genus present

nothing remarkable.

THE HARPY BAT.[205]

The _Harpiocephali_ are a curious group of Bats almost entirely

confined to the Himalayan region, only two species being found

elsewhere, namely, in the islands of Java and Sumatra, and one of these

is also a Himalayan species. The most striking character of the genus

is one which it displays in common with the Harpy Fruit Bat (_Harpyia

Pallasii_) already described, namely, the remarkable prominence of the

nostrils, which project in a tubular form on each side of the muzzle.

These Bats are further distinguished by the hairiness of the upper

surface of the interfemoral membrane, which is sometimes entirely, and

never less than half covered with hair, the wing-membrane being also

generally hairy for a greater extent than in other allied species.

The Harpy Bat (_Harpiocephalus harpia_) is about two inches and a half

long, with a tail nearly two inches in length. Its fur is very soft and

silky, that of the upper surface brownish or whitish-grey, with the

tips of the hairs red, producing a bay or reddish-brown tint on the

back, whilst the head, neck, and shoulders show more of a greyish cast;

and that of the lower surface entirely grey. The membranes are of a

reddish-brown colour, clothed above with hairs of the same tint on the

basal part of the wings, and over the whole surface of the interfemoral

membrane. The ears are broad, and rounded at the tip. This fine Bat has

been observed in India, at Darjeling, and the Khasia Hills; it is also

an inhabitant of Java and Sumatra.

[Illustration: SKULL OF HARPY BAT, ENLARGED.]

The skull and jaws in the Harpy Bat exhibit indications of considerable

strength; in fact, the general aspect of the skull is very Dog-like,

and the large size of the coronoid process of the lower jaw would seem

to indicate that the whole is intended to form a powerful masticating

apparatus. This notion is further borne out by the character of the

teeth, which are very stout, the molars being furnished with short,

blunt cusps, thickly coated with enamel, and admirably fitted to crush

the hard cases of the Beetles, which appear, from the contents found

in its stomach, to constitute the principal food of this Bat. Mr.

Dobson remarks that “as we become better acquainted with the habits of

these animals, it will probably be found that the food of this species

is restricted to certain species of Coleoptera possessing extremely

hard cases, which would effectually resist the feebler, although more

acutely-pointed teeth of other Bats inhabiting the same localities. The

form of the teeth, the great development of the coronoid process, and

the shortness of the mandible, are all evidently subservient to the

same object, and have been modified simultaneously to suit the food of

the animal.”

THE RED BAT.[206]

The genus _Atalapha_, to which the Red Bat of North America belongs, is

very nearly related to _Nycticejus_, and in fact its species have been

not unfrequently placed in that genus. In general characters the two

groups closely agree, but the head in _Atalapha_ is more elevated, and

the interfemoral membrane is wholly, or to a very considerable extent,

clothed with hair. This latter character, with the presence of only two

incisors in the upper jaw, serves at once to distinguish the species

of this genus, which are confined, like those of _Nycticejus_, to the

Western hemisphere.

The Red Bat is generally distributed over all the temperate parts of

North America, even extending, according to Peters, as far north as the

Aleutian islands, whilst Geoffroy and Temminck state that it occurs in

Cayenne and Surinam. The head and body are usually rather less than

two inches long, and the tail is of about the same length; the expanse

of wing is from eleven to twelve inches. There are two pre-molar and

three molar teeth on each side. The ears are irregularly rounded, and

the outer margin runs round upon the cheek, and forms a distinct lobe

below the origin of the tragus, which is about half the height of the

ear, and turns inwards at the point. The fur is long and silky, and

is generally of a light russet colour, tinged with yellow, darker and

richer on the back. The colour, however, varies, specimens being met

with showing fawn-coloured and even yellowish-ashy tints. At each

shoulder there is a tuft of white hair. The interfemoral membrane is

entirely covered above, and half covered beneath, with hair of the same

colour as that on the body. The membranes are of a rich brown colour,

and the ears and lips are marked with yellow. The above furnishes

indications only of the general effect produced, but each hair is dark

lead-colour at the base, then yellowish-brown, passing into dark or

bright red or chocolate colour, with the extreme tip generally white.

Northern specimens usually show the darker tints, while those from

warmer regions are more frequently of a bright red colour.

[Illustration: SKULL OF RED BAT. (_After Allen._)]

Dr. Allen quotes the following anecdote, illustrating the force of

the maternal instinct in this little Bat:--A lad had caught a young

Red Bat, which he took home with him. “Three hours afterwards, in

the evening, as he was conveying it to the museum in his hand, while

passing near the place where it was caught, the mother made her

appearance, and followed the boy for two squares, flying around him,

and finally alighted on his breast, such was her anxiety to save her

offspring. Both were brought to the museum, the young one firmly

adhering to its mother’s teat. This faithful creature lived two days

in the museum, and then died of injuries received from her captor. The

young one being but half grown, was still too young to take care of

itself, and died shortly after.”

The Hoary Bat (_Atalapha cinerea_) is larger than its congener, the

Red Bat, measuring from two to three inches in length, and from twelve

to fifteen inches in expanse of wing. Its colours, also, are quite

different. The head and neck are of a faded yellow colour, the back

brownish chocolate or umber smoky fawn-colour, and the lower surface

fawn-colour, darker on the breast. All the hairs are tipped with white,

which gives the animal the peculiar ashy tinge alluded to in its

name. The whole upper surface of the interfemoral membrane, and about

one-third of its lower surface, are clothed with hair. The Hoary Bat is

distributed over the whole of North America, as far north as Canada and

the Hudson’s Bay Territories.[207]

SCHREIBERS’ BAT.[208]

Several species of Long-tailed Bats, peculiar to the Eastern

hemisphere, have been formed into the genus _Miniopterus_, which

differs from all the preceding forms by having the crown of the

head abruptly and very considerably raised from the face, and the

upper incisors in pairs separated not only from each other, but from

the canines. They have the ears separate, with their outer margins

extending forward nearly to the opening of the mouth; the nostrils

simple; the first phalanx of the second finger very short; and the

tail as long as the head and body, and entirely enclosed within the

interfemoral membrane.

Schreibers’ Bat, the type of this genus, is very remarkable for its

extraordinary geographical range; for, according to the determinations

of Messrs. Tomes and Dobson, it extends from Japan through the Eastern

Archipelago to Australia, and westward of these localities through

Burmah and Ceylon to Asia Minor, and thence into Southern Europe. It is

also generally distributed in Africa, and occurs in Madagascar. On the

continent of Europe it is found as far north as Switzerland and Lower

Austria.

The species varies considerably in the colour of its fur. The basal

half of the hairs is always dark, either brown, greyish-black, or

black, with the extremities sometimes of nearly the same tint, but

generally lighter, varying from a light grey, even becoming whitish

on the lower surface, to reddish-grey and reddish-brown. Specimens

from tropical localities are generally dark in colour. The ears are

much shorter than the head, and sweep almost completely round the

eye (whence the name of “_blepotis_” was given to the Eastern form

by M. Temminck), terminating near the angle of the mouth in a small

square-ended lobe. The tragus is much shorter than the ear, about twice

as long as broad, and rounded at the tip. The total length of this Bat

is about four inches, half of which goes to the head and body, and

the remainder to the tail. Schreibers’ Bat is an inhabitant of caves.

It was originally obtained from the caverns of the Banat, but occurs

generally throughout Southern Europe. In the East it is also said by M.

Temminck to find a retreat in caves and clefts in the rocks. It is very

common in Java, but rarely appears in the open country.[209]

THE BROWN PIG BAT.[210]

This is another of the forms occupying the border-land between the

families of _Vespertilionidæ_ and _Emballonuridæ_, and assisting to

unite the whole of the simple-nosed Insectivorous Bats in one great

series. In the form of the head, and in the dentition, it resembles

especially _Natalus_ and _Furia_. The wing-membranes are continued down

the toes to the base of the claws; the tail is long, and enclosed,

except the last joint, in the interfemoral membrane, which is supported

by long heel-spurs, beyond which there are membranous lobes; and the

thumbs are free and clawed, and, like the soles of the feet, furnished

with curious adhesive discs. The toes consist of only two phalanges

each, as in the genus _Phyllorhina_. The genus was described by MM.

Lichtenstein and Peters under the name of _Hyonycteris_ (Pig Bat), in

allusion to the elongated and truncated form of the muzzle, which has

somewhat of a Pig-like aspect.

[Illustration: FOOT AND THUMB OF THE BROWN PIG BAT, ENLARGED.

(From the _Proceedings of the Zoological Society._)]

The singular adhesive organs mentioned above as occurring on the

thumbs and feet of this Bat, are described in considerable detail by

Mr. Dobson in the “Proceedings of the Zoological Society.” He remarks

that they constitute the only known instance of the possession by

Mammals of prehensile organs at all resembling the sucking-discs of

the Cephalopodous mollusca. “On the inferior surface of the thumb,”

he says, “from the base of the first phalanx, ... corresponding to

the position of the ball of the thumb in other Bats, arises, by a

short peduncle, a hollow suctorial disc about one-tenth of an inch in

diameter. On the sole of the foot a similar but considerably smaller

disc is placed, not in the same relative position, however, as in

the thumb; for it covers the metatarsal bones, not the bases of the

first phalanges of the toes.” According to a Spanish writer, Señor

Jimenez de la Espada, these discs were used by the animal to fasten

itself to the fingers as it tried to bite, producing the same feeling

as a key or thimble when applied to the tongue after sucking out the

air; and it is added, “the muscular arrangement is such as to allow

the animal to vary the diameter of the organ; and by their means the

animals attached themselves to the sides of the box in which they are

kept, although, when sleeping, they suspended themselves by the claws

like other Bats.” Mr. Dobson, however, by careful examination of the

structure of the discs, convinced himself that the Spanish zoologist

was mistaken in ascribing any muscular arrangements to these curious

organs, which consist exclusively of an unusual development of the

skin and subcutaneous tissue, amongst which a radiating cartilaginous

structure probably gave rise to the notion of a special muscular

apparatus. Mr. Dobson indicates further that the discs of the feet are

supplemented by several small projections from the hinder border of the

heel-spur, which are known to occur in no other species of Bat, and he

regards the whole of these peculiarities as indicating that the animal

is specially adapted for climbing, like the New Zealand Bat (_Mystacina

tuberculata_), and that in all probability both these species are in

the habit of capturing the insects on which they feed while crawling

over the branches of trees.[211]

The Brown Pig Bat (_Thyroptera tricolor_) is an inhabitant of South and

Central America. Its head and body are rather more than an inch and a

half long, and the tail about an inch and a quarter. The fur is of a

cinnamon-brown colour, paler beneath, and the wings dusky brown.[212]

THE STRAW-COLOURED BAT.[213]

In this curious little Bat, as in _Furipterus_ and _Miniopterus_,

which with it form the links of connection between the two families of

simple-nosed Insectivorous Bats, the crown of the head is also much

elevated and separated from the muzzle by a strong depression. The

nostrils are placed quite at the tip of the nose, and close to the

upper lip (see figure, p. 312), the chin has a semicircular double row

of warts, the ears are large, broad, somewhat pointed at the tip, which

is turned outwards, so as to make the outer margin appear excavated,

whilst below it sweeps round upon the side of the face as a free lobe,

and the tragus, which is short, broad, and fleshy, rises from the end

of a short stalk projecting horizontally from the inside of the opening

of the ear. The wings are of moderate length, and rather broad, and

are attached to the ankle in a most singular manner. Their point of

attachment is not, as usual in Bats, on the outside, but on the inside

of the ankle, so that a narrow strip of membrane has to cross over the

terminal portion of the shank. The thumbs are free; the legs and tail

are long and slender; the latter, which consists of only seven joints,

is longer than the head and body of the animal, and is almost entirely

enclosed in the ample interfemoral membrane, the posterior margins of

which are supported by long spurs springing from the heels. All the

membranous parts, including the ears, are thickly marked with dotted

lines. There are four incisor teeth in the upper jaw, placed in pairs,

and separated by a space from the canines. There are three pre-molars

in both jaws. (Dental formula--incisors, (2–2)/6, canines, (1–1)/(1–1),

pre-molars, (3–3)/(3–3), molars, (3–3)/(3–3).)

[Illustration: HEAD OF STRAW-COLOURED BAT. (From the _Proceedings of

the Zoological Society._)]

The Straw-coloured Bat measures about four inches in total length,

fully one-half of which is occupied by the tail. It is clothed with a

moderately-long fur, of a brownish-yellow colour, paler on the lower

surface. The membranes are reddish-brown. It is an inhabitant of South

and Central America.

CHAPTER V.

EMBALLONURINE ALLIANCE.

FAMILY V.--EMBALLONURIDÆ, OR THICK-LEGGED BATS.

Characteristics of the _Emballonuridæ_, or THICK-LEGGED

BATS--CUVIER’S FURY--The Genus _Saccopteryx_--STRIPED SACK-WINGED

BAT--The Pouch or Sac in the Wing-membrane--Dentition--MOUNTAIN

BAT--TOMB BAT--Origin of its Name--Dentition--The peculiar

Sac or Pouch under the Chin--Other Species of the Genus

(note)--EGYPTIAN RHINOPOME--Difficulty of assigning its true place

in the System--Characteristics--GREAT HARE-LIPPED BAT--Seba’s

Description--Linnæus’s Mistake--Dentition--Distribution--The

Genus _Nyctinomus_--CESTONI’S BAT--PALE CHESTNUT MASTIFF

BAT--Distribution--Habits--SMOKY MASTIFF BAT--Habits--COLLARED

BAT--Hideous Ugliness--Characteristics--NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED

BAT--Characteristics--Mr. Dobson on the Wing-membrane, Thumb, and

Foot.

This family is the first of the second great group into which Mr.

Dobson divides the ordinary Bats, and it includes many forms which are

almost as typically Bats as the _Vespertilionidæ_ themselves. As in the

_Vespertilionidæ_ the nostrils are simple, that is to say, they are

quite destitute of foliaceous appendages, except in one curious genus

(_Rhinopoma_), which has a very small nose-leaf. The character of the

folding of the first phalanx of the middle finger in repose upon the

upper surface of the metacarpal bone has already been mentioned as

distinguishing the members of this alliance generally. It is subject

to two exceptions in the present family, being extended in a line with

the metacarpal bone, in the same way as in the Vespertilionine Bats, in

the curious genus _Noctilio_, and folded _beneath_ the metacarpal in

the equally singular genus _Mystacina_. In the latter genus, moreover,

the middle finger has three phalanges, the number of these bones in all

other _Emballonuridæ_ being two. The legs are short and stout, and have

the two bones of the shank (tibia and fibula) nearly equally developed;

the tail has its basal portion enclosed within the interfemoral

membrane, but perforates this on the upper surface, at or beyond the

middle, and is usually continued as a free organ for a considerable

distance beyond this point; and the upper incisor teeth are generally

two in number.

The members of this family, which are insectivorous in their habits,

are chiefly confined to the tropical and sub-tropical regions of both

hemispheres. A single species inhabits Europe, and one is found in New

Zealand.

CUVIER’S FURY.[214]

A curious little South American Bat, described by F. Cuvier under

the name of _Furia horrens_, is of interest to the zoologist as one

of the links between the two great groups of Microchiroptera. It is

remarkable for the form of its muzzle, which is somewhat Pig-like,

cut off and turned up at the extremity, and bristling all over with

hairs. The tragus is in the form of a barbed arrow-head; and the thumb

is exceedingly short, and entirely enclosed within the membrane, only

the claw being left free. The canine teeth in the upper jaw are very

peculiar, showing four points. This Bat is only about an inch and a

half long. Its eyes are large and prominent, its nostrils surrounded by

slightly-raised borders, and its chin bears eight white warts, seven

running round the lip, while the eighth stands in the centre. The fur

is soft, thick, and black. A second species of the genus, also from

South America, is described by Mr. Tomes under the name of _Furipterus

cœrulescens_. Its fur is of a slaty blue tint.

THE STRIPED SACK-WINGED BAT.[215]

[Illustration: DENTITION OF STRIPED SACK-WINGED BAT, ENLARGED. (_After

Peters._)]

[Illustration: WING OF STRIPED SACK-WINGED BAT, FROM BELOW.]

The genus _Saccopteryx_ is readily distinguished from all others

by the existence in the membrane in front of the arm (the shoulder

membrane or antebrachial membrane) of a singular sac or pouch, which

is situated on the lower surface of the membrane near the elbow, and

opens at the upper surface in a corresponding position.[216] This sac

is not peculiar to the males, but occurs in both sexes. There are in

the upper jaw only two incisor teeth, which are small and separated by

an interval from each other and from the canines (see figure above).

The lower jaw has six incisors in a close row. The canines are strong

and sharp, especially the upper ones; the first pre-molar is small,

the second larger and acute, and the three true molars are large and

strongly tubercular. The ears are of moderate size, and furnished with

well-developed tragi. The interfemoral membrane occupies the whole

space between the legs, and is stretched by a pair of long spurs,

between which the hinder margin is either straight or incurved, and the

basal portion of the short tail is enclosed in the membrane, from the

upper surface of which its tip projects. The species of this genus are

all American.

[Illustration: ARM OF STRIPED SACK-WINGED BAT, FROM ABOVE.]

The Striped Sack-winged Bat is rather a small species, measuring about

two inches and a quarter from the tip of the nose to the base of the

tail. Its fur is tolerably long, full, and lustrous, that of the upper

surface dark brown, with two white streaks running down from the

shoulders to the hinder extremity of the body; the lower surface is

paler, the hairs having ashy tips. It is an inhabitant of Surinam.[217]

THE MOUNTAIN BAT.[218]

This species is an example of a small series of Bats which, although

nearly allied to the preceding, are inhabitants of the Eastern

hemisphere, the known species of the genus _Emballonura_ being

found in the Eastern Archipelago and Australia, and in some of the

oceanic islands of the Pacific. The ears in this genus are somewhat

triangular in form, with the outer margin sinuated; the tragus is

truncated, slightly widened at the tip, and furnished with a small

blunt projection at the base of the outer margin; the muzzle is

somewhat elongated, with curved nostrils situated in a rounded pit; the

interfemoral membrane is large, and stretched by long spurs. There are

four incisor teeth in pairs above, and six below, and two pre-molars

and three molars on each side in each jaw.

[Illustration: MOUNTAIN BAT.]

The Mountain Bat (_Emballonura monticola_) is a very small creature,

measuring only an inch and a half in length, with a tail nearly half

an inch long, the extremity of which protrudes from the back of the

interfemoral membrane. The wing-membrane springs from the ankle. The

general colour of the fur is a chocolate-brown, lighter on the lower

surface, the hairs being in all parts chocolate-brown at the tips.

Their basal portions are yellowish-white on the back and brown on the

belly. The membranes are entirely naked.

This Bat is an inhabitant of Java, Sumatra, Borneo, and the Philippine

Islands, where it lives in the wildest and most solitary regions of the

mountains. It is social in its habits, considerable troops of them

sleeping suspended from the surfaces of perpendicular rocks, under

the shade of the overhanging trees and shrubs. They are said to be

unsavoury little beasts, their presence being perceptible, even at a

considerable distance, by the strong and disagreeable odour with which

they contaminate the air.[219]

THE TOMB BAT.[220]

During the French expedition to Egypt under the first Napoleon, M.

Geoffroy, one of the _savants_ who accompanied the army, discovered

a species of Bat inhabiting the tombs of the ancient kings of Egypt,

which differed in many important characters from all previously known

Bats. He made it the type of a new genus, to which he gave the name

of _Taphozous_, in allusion to its tomb-haunting habits. Some other

species have since been discovered in various parts of the Eastern

hemisphere.

[Illustration: SKULL OF TOMB BAT, ENLARGED.]

The _Taphozoi_ have a rather short and broad head, with a tapering

muzzle, its breadth behind the eyes being due to the wideness of the

zygomatic arches. The ears are separate, and their outer margins sweep

round upon the cheek, terminating near the angle of the mouth; the

tragus is short, somewhat widened at the apex, so as generally to have

a hatchet shape; the wings are long and narrow, and the interfemoral

membrane is ample, and stretched by very long spurs, between the tips

of which its hinder margin is concave; the base of the tail is enclosed

in the membrane, from which its tip projects. The teeth, especially

the canines and upper true molars, are powerful, and the latter show

the W-shaped cusps very distinctly. There are three molars and two

pre-molars in each jaw, but in the upper jaw the hindmost molar is

reduced to a narrow transverse plate, as shown in the figure, and the

first pre-molar is so small as scarcely to project above the gum. In

the lower jaw there are four small incisors; but in the upper jaw

the pre-maxillary bones are represented only by cartilage, which in

the young, and sometimes in adult animals, bears a pair of minute

teeth, separated from each other by a wide space, but these apparently

frequently drop out as the animal advances in age. In consequence

of this structure, the skull presents a peculiar appearance. The

intermaxillary cartilage being lost, the front of the face presents

a deep notch between two projecting processes which bear the canine

teeth, and even during life the lower jaw extends further forward than

the upper one, so that its incisor teeth press only against the upper

lip.

Another curious character presented by most of these Bats is the

existence under the chin of a peculiar pouch (see figure, p. 316),

which sometimes occurs in both sexes, although smaller in the females,

and is sometimes altogether wanting in the latter. In some, the place

of this sac, which is evidently of a glandular nature, seems to be

represented by a group of small pores. The purpose of this peculiar

arrangement is not clearly known; but from the greater development of

the organ in the males of those species which possess it, it would

appear to be of a sexual character. The peculiar wing-pouches which

characterise the genus _Saccopteryx_ are wanting in these Bats; but

in most of them there is a small membranous band, enclosing the angle

formed by the tip of the fore-arm and the base of the fifth finger, and

thus forming a little pouch.

[Illustration: DENTITION OF TOMB BAT, ENLARGED.]

The Tomb Bat (_Taphozous perforatus_) is one of those which presents

a pouch of this description, and the male also possesses a large

throat-sac, which is altogether wanting in the females. It is about

three inches in length, exclusive of the tail, which is thin at the

extremity; the wing-membranes extend down to within about a quarter

of an inch of the ankles, and the heel-spurs are about as long as the

tibia. The body is covered with short dark-brown fur, which extends

over the bases of the wings, and down the interfemoral membrane as far

as the point where the tail emerges from it.

[Illustration: HEAD OF MALE AND FEMALE LONG-ARMED BAT. (_After

Dobson._)]

This is the species originally discovered by Geoffroy in the chambers

of the Pyramids, and other tombs and buildings in Egypt. It is said

also to inhabit Sennaar and Senegal. It flies in the evening, passes

the day in the darkest places it can find, and feeds exclusively upon

insects. These habits, indeed, appear to be common to all the species

of the genus.[221]

THE EGYPTIAN RHINOPOME.[222]

This Bat, described by the French traveller and naturalist Belon, about

the middle of the sixteenth century, under the name of the Egyptian Bat

(_Chauve-Souris d’Egypte_), is one of the most singular members of the

order Chiroptera. It presents so curious a combination of characters

that its place in the system has always been uncertain; and owing to

the presence of a small nose-leaf, it has hitherto been arranged by

different writers with the _Phyllostomata_, the _Rhinolophidæ_, and

the _Nycteridæ_. Its true place, according to Mr. Dobson’s recent

researches, appears to be with the _Emballonuridæ_, with which, and

especially with the _Taphozoi_, it certainly agrees closely in the form

of the skull and the dentition. This view of the relationships of the

genus _Rhinopoma_ seems also to have struck Cuvier, who, while placing

the genus next to _Nycteris_, makes _Taphozous_ immediately follow it.

[Illustration: HEAD OF MALE AND FEMALE BLACK-BEARDED BAT. (_After

Dobson._)]

The genus is characterised by having the crown of the head considerably

elevated, with a deep concavity in the forehead between the eyes, as in

_Taphozous_; the muzzle considerably elongated beyond the opening of

the mouth; the nostrils of valvular structure, situated in the anterior

margin of a very small, erect nose-leaf, which bears some resemblance

to those of the Phyllostomes; the ears rather large, united upon the

forehead (a Nycterid character), and furnished with a well-developed

tragus; and the tail long and slender, and free throughout almost its

whole length from the interfemoral membrane, which is exceedingly

short. The upper incisors are two in number, and of very small size,

inserted in intermaxillary bones which unite with the maxillaries by

slender processes, a character which also occurs in _Emballonura_.

In the lower jaw there are four incisors in a close row. The canines

are strong, and followed on each side by a single pre-molar in the

upper, and two in the lower jaw; and there are three true molars with

W-shaped cusps on each side in both jaws: thus the dental formula

is--incisors, (1–1)/4, canines, (1–1)/(1–1), pre-molars, (1–1)/(2–2),

molars, (3–3)/(3–3). The index finger consists of three joints, a

metacarpal bone and two phalanges, a structure which occurs in no other

Insectivorous Bats.

[Illustration: SKULL OF RHINOPOME. (_After Dobson._)]

The Egyptian _Rhinopome_, which is probably distributed over a

considerable portion of the African continent, is a small Bat, the

length of the head and body being only about two inches and a quarter.

The portion of the tail free from the membrane is about the same length

as the head and body, and the interfemoral membrane encloses about

another half-inch. It has a nearly naked face, along the middle of

which a narrow groove runs back from the base of the little nose-leaf

to the deep concavity situated in the forehead between the eyes; the

wing-membranes are attached to the tibia for about two-thirds of the

length of the latter, and are entirely free from hair; and the small

development of the membranes, coupled with the comparatively great

length of the limb-bones, renders this Bat more active in walking than

most of his fellows. The fur is short, and leaves a good deal of the

hinder part of the back naked; and the bare skin thus exposed, as well

as the base of the wings, is curiously wrinkled, a character which this

species has in common with certain species of _Taphozoi_ and _Molossi_.

[Illustration: EGYPTIAN RHINOPOME.]

The Egyptian Rhinopome is found commonly in Egypt, where it frequents

the numerous ruins and old buildings with which that country abounds,

and is particularly abundant in the dark galleries and chambers of the

Pyramids.[223]

THE GREAT HARE-LIPPED BAT.[224]

In Seba’s well-known illustrated book on Natural History a peculiar

species of Bat is described and figured under the name of “_Vespertilio

cato similis americanus_.” It may be doubtful whether any of our

domestic Grimalkins would be much flattered by the likeness thus

briefly indicated (see figure), but there can be no doubt that the

animal in question was a Bat, and as such it duly appears in the

earlier editions of the “Systema Naturæ” of Linnæus. By a curious

misapplication of the very sound principle of not being guided

exclusively by external characters, the great Swedish naturalist was

led in the last edition of his work (in which he founded the genus

_Noctilio_) to refer the animal to the Rodents, on the ground of the

apparent presence of only two incisors in each jaw.

A glance at the dentition of a _Noctilio_ will at once show how Linnæus

was misled, and at the same time that it has all the dental characters

of a Bat. In the upper jaw there are four incisor teeth, the two middle

ones approximated and considerably larger than the lateral ones, which

are placed quite behind them, leaving a small open space between the

incisors and the larger canines, behind which comes a series of four

molars showing the characteristic W-shaped cusps very distinctly. In

the lower jaw there are only two small notched incisors, followed

immediately by the powerful canines, behind which is a series of

five molars, the first very small, the second larger, but simple and

pyramidal, and the remainder with distinct cusps and ridges.

[Illustration: HEAD OF GREAT HARE-LIPPED BAT.]

The ears in the Bats of this genus are rather large and furnished with

a small tragus, the outer margin of which is notched. The outer margin

of the ear forms a rounded lobe upon the cheek, and is then continued

to the angle of the mouth. The upper lip is widely cleft, forming a

broad margined fissure running up to the nostrils, which are surrounded

by borders raised to such an extent as to give them almost a tubular

appearance; and the lower lip, which is also thickened, bears several

curious folds of skin; the whole in combination giving a most singular

and forbidding expression to the little creature. The wing-membranes

descend but little below the knee, but the interfemoral membrane is

ample, stretched by very long spurs, and traversed in its basal part by

the short tail, the tip of which projects from its upper surface like a

little knob.

The great Hare-lipped Bat (_Noctilio leporinus_), which is distributed

over the whole of tropical and sub-tropical South America, from the

West Indies in the north to Paraguay and Chili in the south, is about

three inches and three-quarters in length without the tail, and has

an expanse of wing of about twenty-one inches. The general colour

of the fur on the back is greyish-brown or reddish-brown, but in

many specimens a yellowish-white streak runs from the nape down the

middle of the back to the root of the tail. The throat, neck, and

belly are reddish-yellow, the ears, membranes, and other naked parts

blackish-brown. The interfemoral membrane extends about two inches

beyond the tail, which is three-quarters of an inch long, and the

heel-spurs are more than an inch in length.

This Bat lives in large parties in hollow trees, caverns, the roofs of

buildings, and even among the dense foliage of trees, but generally in

the immediate vicinity of water. In the twilight they are seen in great

numbers flying, almost in the same way as the Swallows in Europe, in

great flocks over the surface of the water, close to which they skim

with a very rapid flight in pursuit of the insects which constitute

their food. The voice is described by Prince Maximilian of Neuwied as

a hissing sound. According to an observation made by Mr. Louis Fraser

in Ecuador, the object of the _Noctilio_ in haunting the waters is not

so peaceful as that of most bats, which, so far as we know, resort to

the lakes and rivers only to drink. Mr. Fraser describes it as flying

along the banks of rivers, and from time to time dashing down upon the

surface of the water, where it captures small Crustaceans as they swim

up the stream. He adds that the Bats have a fishy odour, and possibly

they do not strictly confine themselves to invertebrate prey.[225]

CESTONI’S BAT.[226]

We come now to a series of Bats (the _Molossi_ of Professor Peters and

Mr. Dobson) which we shall treat here as belonging to three genera, the

classification and nomenclature of which are attended with considerable

difficulty, partly owing to the variability of characters on which

we are accustomed to rely in the definition of generic groups, and

partly to the confusion which has arisen in the use of the generic

names employed especially by the older writers. They are all stoutly

and rather clumsily built Bats, with short, thick muzzles, a character

which has obtained for some of them the name of Bulldog Bats; the tail

is thick, and projects beyond the margin of the interfemoral membrane,

the hinder limbs are short and stout, and the fibula or second bone in

the shank is well developed, often nearly as large as the tibia.

[Illustration: SKULL AND FRONT TEETH OF CESTONI’S BAT. (_After

Temminck._)]

In the genus _Nyctinomus_, as we shall here restrict it, the ears are

large, and generally united upon the forehead or on the muzzle in front

of the eyes, either directly or by a fold of skin, and furnished with a

distinct tragus, and the upper lip is more or less distinctly folded or

wrinkled. The intermaxillary bones are generally separated by a cleft;

and in all the species they bear two incisor teeth, which are separated

by a space from each other and from the canines, whilst the lower jaw

has six incisors in young animals, and usually only four in the adults.

The canines are strong, and followed in the upper jaw by either four

or five teeth, the number of premolars being either one or two. In the

lower jaw there are always two premolars, and three true molars. The

first and fifth toes are much thicker than the rest. The species of

this genus occur in the warmer parts of both hemispheres.

Cestoni’s Bat, originally discovered at Pisa, is the only species

of the group that occurs in Europe, and forms the type of the

genus _Dinops_ of Professor Savi, now regarded as a sub-genus of

_Nyctinomus_. It is one of the species with five molars in each jaw,

and six incisors permanently in the lower jaw; and the tail extends

for fully half its length beyond the interfemoral membrane, which is

small, and stretched by long curved heel-spurs. A small membranous band

crosses the shank, uniting the wing with the interfemoral membrane.

The general colour of the fur is a mouse-grey, paler below; on the

backs of the toes there are some long white hairs. The wings in this

and the other species of _Nyctinomus_ are long but narrow; the second

finger, which runs to the tip of the wing, being very long, so long

indeed that its metacarpal bone alone exceeds the fourth or hindmost

finger in length. The inner toe also is rather larger than the rest,

and somewhat separated from them, without, however, taking on the form

and function of an opposable thumb. The head and body in this Bat

are about three inches and a quarter long, and the tail rather more

than two inches, of which about an inch is within the interfemoral

membrane. It has a very wide distribution, being found in the South of

Europe and throughout Northern Africa, and occurring also at Amoy, in

China, where Mr. Swinhoe obtained specimens of it. He describes the

interfemoral membrane as fitting loosely on the tail like a glove, so

that it can slip up and down at the will of the animal. It flies high

in the air, where it can be readily distinguished by the narrowness of

its wings. A specimen that Mr. Swinhoe kept for some time alive would

slip the interfemoral membrane up and down when irritated, and had the

further disagreeable habit under such circumstances of protruding its

eyes until they seemed ready to fall out of their sockets. In Egypt

Cestoni’s Bat is one of those that frequent the Pyramids and other

old buildings, which must make that country a perfect paradise for

Bats.[227]

[Illustration: HEAD OF CESTONI’S BAT. (From the _Proceedings of the

Zoological Society_).]

THE PALE CHESTNUT MASTIFF BAT.[228]

This widely-distributed species belongs to the typical sub-genus

_Nyctinomus_, in which the characters of the genus are most clearly

manifested, the upper lip especially being very strongly folded. Its

total length is about four inches, an inch and a half of which is made

up by the tail, about half of which is enclosed by the interfemoral

membrane. The body is covered with a thick, short, soft fur, which

scarcely encroaches upon the membranes, and is composed of hairs of a

fawn colour at the tips, with the basal portion whitish or light ash

colour; the fawn colour is paler on the lower surface of the body. The

ears are of considerable size, rounded, closely approaching each other,

but not joining on the top of the head, and furnished with a small

tragus. The inner margin of the ear bears a row of five or six minute

warts.

This species is found commonly in South America and the West Indies,

and also extends northwards into the United States, at least as far as

Charleston, in South Carolina. Mr. Osburn gives an excellent account of

its habits, as observed by him in Jamaica, where this Bat is often very

abundant in the houses. He says, “They generally appear from half-past

five to six o’clock, directly after sundown, and occasionally appear

up to ten o’clock, but not in such numbers. They again make their

appearance in my bedroom before dawn. The beating of their wings, with

the occasional squeaking call, is quite familiar to me as the first

sound of morning.” Its cry resembles the sound “click-click.” In the

shingled roof of the house at Rowington Park, Vere, Jamaica, these

Bats were exceedingly abundant, passing the day clinging together in

clusters, notwithstanding the heat experienced immediately beneath

the shingles. Mr. Osburn says that he “counted fourteen little heads

in a mass about the size of a turnip.” Under these circumstances,

however, they are not all asleep. “Now and then,” says Mr. Osburn,

“a wing is stretched in drowsy enjoyment; and the luxury King James

thought too great for subjects, and ought to be reserved for kings, is

largely indulged in by Bats. First one and then another wakes up, and

withdrawing one leg, and leaving itself suspended by the other alone,

adroitly uses the foot at liberty as a comb, with a rapid, effective

movement dressing the hair of the under part and head--an action far

from ungraceful. The foot is then cleaned quickly with the teeth or

tongue, and restored to its first use,” of suspending the animal. A

little after sundown, according to Mr. Osburn, the roof is alive with

movement, betrayed by squeaks and a scuffling shuffle over the boards,

and the Bats scramble eagerly up the shingles, and escape through any

opening they may find, shooting off with great rapidity in search

of their insect prey. In March they made their exit about half-past

six o’clock in the evening, returning to their dwelling-place about

eight or nine o’clock. “It is then,” says Mr. Osburn, “they are so

particularly annoying to the inhabitants of even the most carefully

kept Jamaica houses. The great majority return to the roof; but one or

two vigorous little fellows come into the room, and flap about in the

most unmeaning way. Nothing is more remarkable than the agility with

which a dozen, in the early part of the evening, skimmed and glided by

every article of furniture. But now they bang themselves against the

ceiling and walls, drop on the table, get up again, when the Cat, by

jumping, catches them a pat, and they fall on the floor, not much hurt,

to judge by their liveliness, for Grimalkin, having performed the feat,

sits down, her paws tucked under, and gravely watches the hurry of the

alarmed Bat shuffling over the floor. They disturb the harmony of the

evening by becoming the occupants of, and making an escapade beneath,

a gentleman’s coat collar, or a great sensation by getting hopelessly

entangled in a lady’s hair, and bite more furiously than effectively

during the process of release.” These restless little fellows, which

must at least add considerably to the liveliness of an evening

_réunion_ in those parts of Jamaica where they abound, remain very

active in their quarters all night, and start out in search of their

breakfast so early that they return home again by five or six o’clock.

They then seem to amuse themselves, before retiring to their own

repose, by breaking the slumbers of the people whose evening hours they

have enlivened as above described, by flying about the bedrooms with a

rushing sound and many squeaks. The species is exceedingly common in

Jamaica, and seems always to inhabit houses. Mr. Gosse (“Naturalist in

Jamaica,” p. 159) also describes the habits of this Bat, which he calls

the Chestnut Mastiff Bat.[229]

THE SMOKY MASTIFF BAT.[230]

In this abundant American Bat the fur is generally of a smoky-brown

colour, with the bases of the hairs whitish; on the lower surface some

of the hairs are entirely white, and the rest brown, with the base

and apex whitish. The length of the head and body is from three and a

half to four and a half inches, and that of the tail about two inches,

nearly half of which projects beyond the membrane. The heel-spurs

are very long. In this and the other species of _Molossus_, the

intermaxillary bones are united, and the upper incisors close together

in front.[231]

The Smoky Mastiff Bat is a well-known South American species, and

extends also into the West Indian islands. In Jamaica it was observed

and described by Mr. Gosse under the name of the Monk Bat, in allusion

to the fact that he found the species living in large communities, but

always of one sex. Mr. Osburn also observed it in the same island, and

has given a long account of its habits. In the house in which he was

living at Shettlewood, these Bats swarmed in the roof, and during the

breeding-season, his bedroom, situated immediately below, was rendered

so offensive by their peculiar odour, that he was compelled to have

every window left wide open at night. The Bats passed out from the roof

under the eaves, but not unfrequently small parties of them would come

in through the windows and take a short flight round the room. A man

sent up into the roof brought down four or five quarts of the Bats,

all of which proved to be males. These Bats also live in holes in dead

stumps of cocoa-nut trees, and Mr. Osburn describes as follows the

results of felling one of the stumps thus occupied. He says:--“It was

broken into fragments by the fall, and among them a perfect hecatomb of

these little Bats, scattered into two distinct heaps, corresponding to

a high and a lower storey in the tree. There must have been at least

150 or 200 altogether. The heap which occupied the upper hole were

exclusively males; those in the lower, females, in large proportion,

though there seemed a male here and there among them.” Mr. Osburn’s

observations thus strikingly confirm those of Mr. Gosse as to the

curious habit of segregation on the part of the males of this species,

which induced the latter gentleman to give it the name of the Monk

Bat. The holes occupied by the Bats contained a great quantity of

dust looking like coarse snuff, which proved to consist entirely of

fragments of the hard parts of insects. Mr. Gosse appears not to have

observed this Bat in houses, but he describes it as living in great

numbers together in the hollows of decayed thatch-palms. He had brought

to him a large basket containing a number of the Bats obtained from

such a tree, and says that, on being uncovered, it “displayed a pretty

scene of dusky life. The ‘pie’ of our infant days, that contained

‘four-and-twenty blackbirds’ all ready to sing, was nothing to it.

Fifty Bats, all alive and kicking, were huddled into the narrow space;

an arrangement which, considering their natural propensities, was

probably not very disagreeable to them. I examined forty-three, a few

escaping from the crowd, and if I was surprised before at the extent

of their gregarious habits, I was still more surprised to find that of

this number every one was of the male sex, as had been the one formerly

examined.... As they huddled and crawled over each other they emitted

quivering squeaks. They all displayed the extraordinary activity

mentioned above, preferring to run rather than fly, though a few took

to wing. In climbing, to suspend themselves, they used the thumbs or

the hind-feet indiscriminately. In running along the floor, an action

which they performed very swiftly, they rested on the wrists, elevating

the fore-parts of the body considerably.”

THE COLLARED BAT.[232]

The Mastiff Bats certainly cannot boast of any great attractiveness in

their aspect, but they must yield the palm of ugliness to a curious

species described by Dr. Horsfield. It is a clumsy, heavy-looking

animal, of considerable size for a Bat, measuring more than five inches

in length from the tip of the nose to the root of the tail. Its body

is entirely covered with a thick black skin, which is absolutely naked

on the back, and has only a few short hairs upon the sides of the

body, the interfemoral membrane, and the lower surface. The face and

lips also have a few fine long hairs, and a curious collar of brown

hairs runs round the neck. To add to the charms of the creature, the

skin is thrown into thick folds in various parts of the body; the

legs are thick, and terminated by clumsy feet, in which the first toe

is very large, bristling with long hairs on the outside, and widely

separated from the others, so as to acquire very much the character

of a posterior thumb; the interfemoral membrane is short, forming a

mere band between the legs, from which the tail, which is about half

as long as the body, and very thick, projects for about two-thirds of

its length. The head is long; the muzzle, which is truncated, projects

considerably beyond the lower jaw; the ears are quite separate,

triangular, with the tips rounded; the tragus is very small; the wings

are long, and rather narrow, and their membrane extends down to about

the middle of the shank, but springs from such a level on the sides of

the body, that a deep cavity is formed on each side under the armpit,

which is converted into a sort of pouch by an extension of the skin

of the sides to the lower surface of the upper arm and thigh. In

the pouches thus formed, and close to the armpits, the nipples are

situated. There are two incisor teeth in each jaw, the upper ones

strong, and implanted in well-developed and united intermaxillary

bones. The upper jaw has one, and the lower jaw two premolars on each

side, and there are three true molars on each side in both jaws.

[Illustration: HEAD OF COLLARED BAT. (_After Temminck._)]

This hideous Bat was discovered in the peninsula of Malacca, and has

since been found in Java, Sumatra, and Borneo. It does not appear to be

abundant in its native countries, and its apparent rarity is doubtless

increased by its selecting for its residence the wildest and most

solitary districts in the heart of the great forests. During the day

it usually retreats to the hollow trunks of trees, but sometimes takes

its repose in holes in the ground or in clefts of the rocks, coming out

soon after sundown, when it is seen flying heavily about the borders of

the woods, or even high up above the forest in the plains.

Another curious but by no means agreeable peculiarity of this species

remains to be noticed. Across the base of the neck, immediately in

front of the breast, there is a great pouch, formed apparently by a

fold of the skin, which receives an oily secretion from a large gland,

regarded by Professor Temminck as perhaps analogous to the thyroid. In

the male this gland is very broad, and divided into two lobes, and the

fluid secreted by it passes into the pouch by a great number of small

pores. In the female the apparatus is smaller, but more complicated;

the gland is composed of two small lobes, but between these there is

a membranous pouch or reservoir, in which the oily fluid seems to

become concentrated, forming a brown, granular, fatty matter, which

passes into the great throat-pouch through a single large opening. This

secretion possesses an odour so strong as to be still perceptible after

the animals have been preserved in spirits for several years; and Dr.

Salomon Müller states that his artist, M. van Oort, when engaged in

making a drawing from a living specimen, was affected with a headache

and nausea so violent that he had much difficulty in completing his

task. It appears that the fetid fluid gets diffused over the hairs

bordering the throat-pouch, and thus readily passes off into the air,

and spreads to a long distance round the places inhabited by the

Bats, and may thus serve, as Professor Temminck suggests, to enable

these creatures to find each other in the dark retreats which they

frequent. This would apply to other species which diffuse a peculiar

odour, although none of them seem to possess so powerful an odoriferous

secretion as the Collared Bat.

[Illustration: COLLARED BAT. (_After Temminck._)]

THE NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED BAT.[233]

We have already noticed the occurrence in New Zealand of a species of

Bat nearly allied to the common Bats of Europe, although differing

from them in certain characters which have led to the formation of a

distinct genus for it. The present species, the second known Bat of New

Zealand, is a far more remarkable animal; in fact, its characters are

so singular that it forms not only a distinct genus, but a peculiar

sub-division of the family to which it belongs.

[Illustration: HEAD OF NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED BAT. (From the

_Proceedings of the Zoological Society._)]

The Short-tailed Bat of New Zealand, which appears to be not of very

common occurrence there, is a small Bat, not exceeding two inches

and a half in length of head and body; the body is short and broad;

the muzzle is greatly produced beyond the opening of the mouth, and

terminates in a sort of projecting snout, which carries the nostrils

towards the sides of its tip; the ears are quite separate, simple,

ovate, and slightly pointed at the tips, and furnished with a long,

narrow, and pointed tragus; the wings are rather short and broad, and

the middle finger consists of four joints, having three true phalanges;

the wing-membranes extend down to the end of the shank; a narrow band

of the membrane running from the wrist down the arm, and bordering the

side of the body and the leg, the antebrachial or shoulder membrane and

the basal part of the interfemoral membrane are thick and leathery,

and marked with numerous deep wrinkles on the upper surface. The tail

is short, and only a very small portion of it is enclosed in the

interfemoral membrane. The dentition is exceedingly peculiar. There are

two upper incisors, which are nearly of the same shape as the canines;

the lower jaw also has two incisors, but these are small, three-lobed

at the tip, and placed in front of the canines, which are of large

size, and nearly in contact at the base. There are two premolars and

three true molars on each side in both jaws.

[Illustration: TEETH OF NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED BAT. (From the _Proc.

Zool. Soc._)]

The fur is short, crisp, and thick, and extends forward on the head

towards the nose, where it is bounded in front by a frill of stiff,

upright hairs. On the upper parts of the body the fur is dusky at the

base and tipped with a shining greyish-brown, with a slight olive

tinge. On the lower surface the hairs are brown at the base, with

greyish-brown tips. The membranes are dark-brown, with the wrinkled,

leathery portion paler, and of a yellowish tinge. Of the habits of this

species nothing has been recorded.

[Illustration: THUMB AND FOOT OF NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED BAT. (From

the _Proceedings of the Zoological Society._)]

In many respects the New Zealand Short-tailed Bat is exceedingly

interesting to the zoologist. In its structure it presents striking

resemblances to species belonging to several groups, whilst its own

personal peculiarities are very remarkable. These are noticed by Mr.

Dobson, from whose valuable writings we have so often had occasion to

quote, in a short paper read before the Zoological Society in 1876. He

finds that the peculiar leathery and wrinkled portions of the membranes

are so arranged that when the wings are folded--which they are in a

very complicated manner, and so as to pack away into the smallest

possible space--each wing is “tucked in beneath the thickened portion

of the wing-membrane margining the fore-arm and side of the body,

which sheathes and completely conceals the whole wing. The posterior

half of the interfemoral membrane, from the point where the tail

perforates it, is rolled upwards and forwards beneath the leathery

anterior half.” In this way the more membranous parts of the wings are

protected, as Mr. Dobson remarks, precisely in the same way that the

delicate wings of the Beetles and Bugs are sheltered in repose beneath

the hardened elytra. “With the wings and interfemoral membranes thus

encased,” he adds, “this species is the most quadrupedal of Bats;”

and the structure of the limbs indicates that all these arrangements

really tend to adapt this animal for progression on all-fours. The

thumb is long, and armed with a large, sharp claw, which is remarkable

among Bats for having a small sharp tooth near the base, in its concave

side, a structure which, from the analogy of a species of Chameleon

in which the same thing occurs, is regarded by Mr. Dobson as greatly

increasing the clinging power of the animal. The hind limbs are

short and stout, and the feet remarkably large, and their whole lower

surface, including that of the toes, is covered with a soft, loose,

deeply-wrinkled skin, that of each toe showing a strong central groove

with short grooves at right angles to it, very much after the pattern

seen in some Geckos or Wall Lizards. This loose, wrinkled skin is also

continued along the flattened lower surface of the ankle and leg. “All

these peculiarities of structure,” says Mr. Dobson, “must accompany

some corresponding peculiarities in the habits of this species.... I

have no doubt that the denticle at the base of the claw in _Mystacina

tuberculata_ compensates that species exceptionally for the imperfect

condition of the fore-limbs as organs of prehension; and this, taken

into consideration with the peculiar manner in which the wings are

protected from injury when not employed in flying, and with the

manifestly adhesive nature of the sole of the foot and inferior surface

of the legs, leads me to believe that this species hunts for its insect

food, not only in the air, but also on the branches and leaves of

trees, among which its peculiarities of structure most probably enable

it to walk about with security and ease.” This and the Brown Pig Bat

(_Thyroptera tricolor_), already described (p. 310), may be regarded

as more especially adapted for climbing than any other members of the

order Chiroptera.

[Illustration: NEW ZEALAND SHORT-TAILED BAT. (From the _Proceedings of

the Zoological Society._)]

CHAPTER VI.

FAMILY VI.--PHYLLOSTOMIDÆ, OR VAMPIRES.

Distinguishing Marks of the

_Phyllostomidæ_--Location--Diet--Blood-sucking

Propensities--Exaggerations of the Older Writers--Testimony

of Azara--Darwin’s Evidence--Bat-bites--The Witness of Bates,

Wallace, Fraser, Prince Maximilian--Conclusion of the Whole

Matter--The Desmodonts and Javelin Bat--The Tongue in the Genus

_Phyllostoma_--BLAINVILLE’S BAT--Extraordinary Development of Face

and Head--OWL-FACED BAT--JAVELIN BAT--Allied Species--VAMPIRE

BAT--Mr. Bates’ Testimony to its Inoffensiveness, and Description

of its Habits--NEUWIED’S LARGE-LEAFED BAT--GREAT-EARED LEAF

BAT--SORICINE BAT--REDMAN’S BAT--SEZEKORN’S LEAF BAT--SPECTACLED

STENODERM--JAMAICAN STENODERM--DESMODUS--Dentition--Blood-sucking

Propensities--The Bites--Stomach of Desmodus, Frugivorous and

Insectivorous Bats--Classification--Concluding Remarks.

We have already seen that the first group of ordinary Bats includes

two sets of species, one characterised generally by the possession of

dermal complications of the muzzle, the other by the absence of any

such arrangements; and in like manner the second alliance has also its

simple-nosed and leaf-nosed forms. Of course, the presence or absence

of the nose-leaf can only be regarded as a secondary character; and we

have had occasion to show that its mere existence is not sufficient to

overrule other important structural peculiarities (as in the genera

_Nyctophilus_ among the _Vespertilionidæ_ and _Rhinopoma_ among the

_Emballonuridæ_), but in conjunction with such characters it must be

regarded as of great value, especially since its development would seem

to be associated, as already pointed out, with that wonderful acuteness

of the tactile sense which seems to guide the Bats in their nocturnal

wanderings.

In the _Phyllostomidæ_, or Leaf-nosed Emballonurine Bats, this is

strikingly the case, and the family may be regarded as an especially

well-marked group, distinguished from all other Bats (except the genus

_Mystacina_) by the presence of three distinct phalanges in the middle

finger. Of these joints the first is short, and bent up in repose along

the upper surface of the metacarpal bone, in the manner characteristic

of the Bats of this division. The nasal appendages are sometimes

rudimentary, but generally exhibit a structure more or less resembling

that characteristic of the Horseshoe Bats, the nostrils opening in the

fissure between the front-piece, or horseshoe, and true nose-leaf; and

the chin is furnished with warts, or erect ridges of skin, reminding us

of the same parts in the genus _Noctilio_, which certainly forms a sort

of transition between the _Emballonuridæ_ and _Phyllostomidæ_. Another

character which seems at once to distinguish these Leaf-nosed Bats

from those of the first division is the complete development of the

intermaxillary bones, which in the _Rhinolophidæ_ and _Nycteridæ_ are

rudimentary, or represented by mere cartilages. The dentition varies

very considerably in this family, but in all the species the canines

are large and acute, and the molar teeth show either the usual W-shaped

cusps, or a sharp, cutting edge, like that found in some carnivorous

mammals.

[Illustration: SKULL OF JAVELIN BAT.]

The _Phyllostomidæ_ are entirely confined to the warmer parts of

America. Several of them are of considerable size. The food of some

consists of insects; others find their nourishment in fruits; and

a good many appear to have the habit of sucking the blood of other

animals--an evil practice which has been erroneously ascribed to the

species generally, causing them, under the name of Vampires, to be

regarded as most formidable animals. As many of the accounts of the

blood-sucking propensities of these Bats give no definite clue to the

species referred to, and the number of species which seek this form of

nourishment, habitually or occasionally, is very doubtful, it may be as

well to give a general statement on the subject in this place.

The earliest accounts of the natural history of America contain

references to these animals, with a probably somewhat exaggerated

statement of the fatal effects of their attacks upon men and animals.

Peter Martyr declares that the Bats suck the blood of men and animals

while they are asleep, exhausting them to such an extent as to cause

death. Piso, Father Jumilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa and many other

writers, express themselves in similar terms, and generally agree in

representing the consequences of the bites as very serious.

La Condamine, who travelled in South America in the early part of the

last century, confirms the above statements as to these Bats, which, he

says, attack man, and even destroy animals. He ascertained that they

suck the blood of Horses and Mules, and stated that they had in some

places destroyed the cattle introduced by the missionaries.

Azara, in his natural history of the quadrupeds of Paraguay, describes

the blood-sucking habits of a species which has been referred to the

genus _Stenoderma_. He says:--“I have seen a great number; they were

all constantly identical among themselves, but differ from all other

Bats in that, when put on the ground, they run nearly as fast as a Rat,

and they like to suck blood. Sometimes they bite the combs and wattles

of sleeping fowls, and suck their blood, in consequence of which the

fowls die, because the wounds mortify. They also bite Horses, Mules,

Asses, and horned cattle, usually on the rump, the shoulders, or the

neck, because in these parts they find it convenient to cling to the

mane or the tail. Lastly, man is not free from their attacks; and upon

this point I can give certain testimony, seeing that they have bitten

me four times in the tips of my great toes, when I was sleeping in the

open country in huts. The wounds they made without my feeling them were

circular or elliptical, from a line to a line and a half in diameter,

but so shallow that they did not entirely penetrate my skin, and it

could be seen that they were made by removing a small piece, and not by

piercing, as might be supposed. Besides the blood which they sucked, I

reckon that what flowed away might be half an ounce when I lost most by

their attack; but as the effusion in the case of horses and cattle is

about three ounces, and the skin of these animals is very thick, it is

to be supposed that the wounds are larger and deeper. This blood comes

neither from the veins nor from the arteries, seeing that the wound

does not extend to them, but from the capillary vessels of the skin,

from which the Bats, no doubt, draw it by sucking and licking. Although

my wounds were painful for several days, they were of so little

consequence that I did not apply any remedy to them.”

These statements of Azara’s reduce the affair to rather more moderate

dimensions than would appear to belong to them from the exaggerated

statements of the older writers, which can only be accepted with

some allowance for the love of the marvellous inherent in those who

have strange things to tell of new countries. But even these less

extravagant accounts of the Vampires of South America were regarded

in Europe with some feeling of scepticism; and Mr. Darwin appears to

have been one of the first reliable naturalists to observe the act of

blood-sucking on the part of a Bat of this family, belonging to the

genus _Desmodus_. He says (“Journal,” p. 25):--

“The Vampire Bat is often the cause of much trouble, by biting the

Horses on their withers. The injury is generally not so much owing to

the loss of blood, as to the inflammation which the pressure of the

saddle afterwards produces. The whole circumstance has lately been

doubted in England; I was therefore fortunate in being present when

one was actually caught on a Horse’s back. We were bivouacking late

one evening near Coquimbo, in Chili, when my servant, noticing that

one of the Horses was very restive, went to see what was the matter,

and fancying he could distinguish something, suddenly put his hand on

the beast’s withers, and secured the Vampire. In the morning, the spot

where the bite had been inflicted was easily distinguished, from being

slightly swollen and bloody. The third day afterwards we rode the Horse

without any ill effects.”

Tschudi, who travelled in Peru, and wrote on the natural history of

that country, gives an account of his experience in the matter of

Bat-bites. According to him, the blood which the Vampires draw from

the wounds inflicted by them on cattle and horses is not more than an

ounce or two, but the wound continues to bleed freely for some time;

and it is not uncommon in the morning to find the animals attacked in a

deplorable state, and bathed in their own blood. He mentions the case

of an Indian who went to sleep when intoxicated, and was bitten in the

face by a Vampire. The wound, which was small, and apparently of little

consequence, was followed by an inflammation and swelling so great that

the man’s features became quite unrecognisable. In all probability, the

condition of his blood after his debauch may have had a good deal to do

with the severity of the after-effects of the wound.

Mr. Bates, who during his travels on the Amazon was once wounded in

the hip, probably by a Bat, which he describes as a small dark-grey

Phyllostome streaked with white down the back, states that it is only a

few persons who are subject to be so attacked. His friend Mr. Wallace

seems to have had a larger experience in this respect. He ascribes

the mischievous propensity to the great Javelin Bat (_Phyllostoma

hastatum_), of which he says:--

“This is a common Bat on the Amazon, and is, I believe, the one which

does much injury to horses and cattle, by sucking their blood; it also

attacks men, when it has opportunity. The species of blood-sucking

Bats seem to be numerous in the interior. They do not inhabit houses,

like many of the frugivorous Bats, but enter at dusk through any

aperture they may find. They generally attack the tip of the toe,

or sometimes any other part of the body that may be exposed. I have

myself been twice bitten, once on the toe, and the other time on the

tip of the nose; in neither case did I feel anything, but awoke after

the operation was completed. In what way they effect it is still quite

unknown. The wound is a small round hole, the bleeding of which it is

very difficult to stop. It can hardly be a bite, as that would wake

the sleeper; it seems most probable that it is either a succession of

gentle scratches with the sharp edge of the teeth, gradually wearing

away the skin, or a triturating with the point of the tongue, till

the same effect is produced. My brother was frequently bitten by them,

and his opinion was that the Bat applied one of its long canine teeth

to the part, and then flew round and round on that as a centre, till

the tooth, acting as an awl, bored a small hole, the wings of the Bat

serving, at the same time, to fan the patient into a deeper slumber.

He several times awoke while the Bat was at work, and though of course

the creature immediately flew away, it was his impression that the

operation was conducted in the manner above described. Many persons are

particularly annoyed by Bats, while others are free from their attacks.

An old mulatto at Guia, on the Upper Rio Negro, was bitten almost every

night, and though there were frequently half a dozen other persons in

the room, he would be the party favoured by their attentions. Once he

came to us with a doleful countenance, telling us he thought the Bats

meant to eat him up quite, for having covered up his hands and feet in

a blanket, they had descended beneath his hammock of open network, and

attacking the most prominent part of his person, had bitten him through

a hole in his trousers! We could not help laughing at the catastrophe,

but to him it was no laughing matter.

“Senhor Brãndão, of Manaquery, informed me that he had once an Indian

girl in his house, who was much subject to the attacks of the Bats. She

was at length so much weakened by the loss of blood that fears were

entertained of her life, if they continued their attacks, and it was

found necessary to send her to a distance, where these bloodthirsty

animals did not abound.

“The wound made by them is very difficult to heal, especially in its

usual locality--the tip of the great toe--as it generally renders a

shoe unbearable for a day or two, and forces me to the conclusion that,

after the first time, for the curiosity of the thing, to be bitten by

a Bat is very disagreeable. They will, however, very rarely enter a

lighted room, and for this reason the practice of burning a lamp all

night is almost universal.”

In the island of Muciana, situated in the mouth of the Amazon River,

Mr. Wallace had an opportunity of observing the mischief done by

these blood-sucking Bats on a large scale. The island is used as a

grazing-ground, but some of the horses and cattle on it, says Mr.

Wallace, were “miserable-looking objects, from wounds inflicted by the

Bats, which cause them to lose much blood, and sometimes, by successive

attacks, kill them. Senhor Leonardo informed us that they particularly

abounded in some parts of the island, and that he often has Bat-hunts,

when several thousands are killed.” Mr. Wallace describes the

criminal in this locality as a large coffee-brown Bat, probably the

_Phyllostoma, hastatum_. He adds that they “live in holes of trees,

where they are killed in considerable numbers, Senhor Leonardo

informing me that they had destroyed about seven thousand during the

last six months. Many hundreds of cattle are said to have been killed

by them in a few years.”

Mr. Louis Fraser, when collecting at Gualaguzia, in Ecuador, obtained a

specimen of the Javelin Bat, and was told by the Indian who brought it

to him that this species attacks the Mules.

Prince Maximilian of Neuwied also lays the crime of blood-sucking at

the door of the Javelin Bat. He says:--“In its stomach I found remains

of different kinds of insects, but never any traces of blood that

had been swallowed; nevertheless, it is certain that this and many

other species of Phyllostomes suck the blood of animals. I have never

surprised such a Bat at the moment of sucking, but have observed in

the moonshine and twilight how these large animals fluttered, with

strongly rustling wings, about our grazing beasts of burthen, which

bore their vicinity quietly, but on the following morning were covered

with blood, from the shoulders down to the hoofs. On the Rio das Contas

we found the cattle quite exhausted with the loss of blood.” The same

author adds:--“As I have never found blood in the stomachs of the

Phyllostomes, this nutriment can only be partaken of by them rarely,

and for this reason I do not venture to decide whether some, or all,

or what species of them are fond of this food; but with regard to the

_largest_ species here described, it needs no further confirmation, and

I believe that of all the Phyllostomes described by me, it is nearly

the only one that sucks blood.”

It will be seen from the foregoing statements that there is some

uncertainty as to the precise species which may justly be charged with

the crime of blood-sucking. The habit has been ascribed to various

species, some of which are now known to feed upon fruits, whilst others

find their nourishment in the abundant insect population of tropical

America; and in the opinion of many zoologists of the present day,

the sole criminals are the species of the genus _Desmodus_, a small

aberrant group, specially distinguished from all the rest by the

structure of their teeth and stomach. Mr. Tomes, in commenting on

Mr. Fraser’s statement, suggests that the blood-sucking was performed

by the Desmodonts, which accompanied the Javelin Bat in Mr. Fraser’s

collection, and the guilt transferred to the larger and more striking

species; and the same explanation may apply to the accounts given by

Mr. Wallace and Prince Maximilian, both of whom apparently charge the

Javelin Bat with sanguinivorous proclivities solely upon circumstantial

evidence. If this be the case, _Phyllostoma hastatum_ must be regarded

as a very unfortunate animal. Professor Reinhardt agrees with Mr. Tomes

in considering the Desmodonts (_Desmodus_ and _Diphylla_) the only

blood-sucking Bats, and they appear to be the only forms that have been

actually taken in the fact.

[Illustration: MOUTH OF SPECTACLED STENODERM.]

At the same time we are perhaps hardly justified in passing a verdict

of not guilty in the case of some of the other species, for certain

observers record the finding of blood in the stomach, and by others

the structure of the mouth is looked upon as furnishing circumstantial

evidence of sanguinary propensities. Thus Professor Bell says that the

tongue in the genus _Phyllostoma_ has a number of wart-like elevations,

so arranged as to form a complete circular suctorial disc when they

are brought into contact at their sides, which is effected by a set

of muscular fibres having a tendon attached to each of the warts. By

means of this curious sucker, he adds, these Bats are enabled to suck

the blood of animals and the juice of succulent fruits. According to

other writers the papillæ which are borne by the lips (see figure),

and which seem to have some analogy with the wrinkles occurring on the

lips of the Mastiff Bats, serve this same office; and Prince Maximilian

especially describes the mode in which the lips in the Javelin Bat may

be converted into a sucking-canal. It is to be observed, however, that

these papillae are greatly developed in species which are now known to

derive the whole or the greater part of their nourishment from fruits.

BLAINVILLE’S BAT.[234]

[Illustration: HEAD OF BLAINVILLE’S BAT. (_After Peters._)]

A most grotesque species of Bat, the position of which has been a

subject of some discussion, as it seems to be almost equally related

to the _Emballonuridæ_ on the one hand, and to the _Phyllostomidæ_ on

the other, was described many years ago (in 1821) by the late Dr. Leach

under the name of _Mormops Blainvillii_. As regards the development of

the cutaneous system about the face, this species is without exception

the most extraordinary species of the whole order (see figure). The

skull itself is of curious structure, the cranial portion, or that

containing the brain, being so much elevated, that its height is nearly

equal to the whole length of the skull, and its front wall descends in

such a manner as to form nearly a right angle with the bones of the

face (see figure). The superficial structures belonging to the face and

head are so complicated as almost to defy description, and so grotesque

that one might recommend their study to the inventors of demon-masks

for pantomimic purposes. The ears are of considerable size, and have

their margins notched in several places; they sweep round on the cheek,

to terminate at a short distance from the angle of the mouth, and have

their inner margins joined by a fold of membrane. The tragus is a

thick, more or less lobulated organ. The nostrils are round apertures

in the extremity of the snout, their margins are raised and naked,

and produced above into small lobes. Between the nostrils there is a

perpendicular ridge, and above this a small round papilla on each side

of which there is an irregular kidney-shaped elevation. Behind these

parts comes a large fold of skin, deeply notched in the middle above,

which joins on each side with the middle of the membrane uniting the

ears, and probably represents the hinder nose-leaf in some other Bats.

The lower lip consists of two leaves, the upper of which forms in the

chin a large shield-shaped, warty plate, beneath which the lower leaf

and the skin of the throat form a complicated series of lobes.

[Illustration: SKULL (_Natural Size_) AND DENTITION (_Enlarged_) OF

BLAINVILLE’S BAT.]

[Illustration: BLAINVILLE’S BAT. (_After Peters._)]

The teeth in this Bat consist of four incisors and a pair of strong

canines in each jaw, two pre-molars in the upper and three in the

lower jaw, and three molars, with more or less distinct W-shaped cusps

on each side in both jaws (dental formula--incisors, 4/4 canines,

(1–1)/(1–1), pre-molars, (2–3)/(3–3), molars, (3–3)/(3–3)). The wings

are well developed, long, and broad, and the membranes descend to the

ankles (see figure); the first phalanx of the middle finger is very

short. The interfemoral membrane is ample, and stretched by two very

long heel-spurs; it is perforated before the middle for the passage of

the tail, about one-third of which projects on the upper surface of the

membrane.

The length of the head and body in this species is about two inches

and two-thirds, and that of the tail from one inch to one inch and

one-sixth, according to the sex, being longer in the male. The fur of

the upper side is of a rich umber-brown, and that of the lower surface

brownish-grey, the difference being caused by the brown tips of the

hairs above, which are wanting on those of the under side. The hairs

on the inner margin of the ear are shiny brown. The membranes are

dark-brown. This species is an inhabitant of South America and of the

West Indies, but it does not seem to be very abundant. Nothing has been

recorded as to its habits, but it is probably a strictly nocturnal Bat.

Blainville’s Bat is the type of a small group of _Phyllostomidæ_,

which, as already indicated, form a sort of transition towards the

more normal _Emballonuridæ_, the line of relationship probably

passing through the _Noctiliones_. This group (_Mormopes_, Peters;

_Lobostominæ_, Dobson) is characterised by its terminal nostrils, and

the cutaneous folds or ridges on the chin.

THE OWL-FACED BAT.[235]

This is another species of the _Mormops_ group, but very much less

remarkable in its characters. It has pointed ears, with an elongated

tragus. The hinder nasal appendage, which is so large in Blainville’s

Bat, here forms merely a sort of transverse pad across the middle of

the muzzle, and the nostrils are pierced in the middle of the upper

part of a naked piece, which rises directly from the upper lip. The

lower lip is warty, but the warty portion gradually passes into the

other part of the lip, and below it there is a thin fold of skin. The

skull is considerably longer than high; and while the teeth are present

in the same number as in _Mormops_, the second premolar in the lower

jaw is small, and removed inwards from the line of the series of teeth.

[Illustration: HEAD OF OWL-FACED BAT. (From _Gosse’s “Jamaica.”_)]

The Owl-faced Bat is a small species, the head and body measuring only

two inches. The tail is an inch long, and about a fifth of it projects

from the upper surface of the interfemoral membrane, which is expanded

by a pair of very long spurs. The expanse of wing is nearly twelve

inches, which is very great for so small a Bat. The body is covered

with a short, soft fur, of a brownish-grey colour above, and pale-grey

beneath; the membranes are black.

The Owl-faced Bat was originally obtained from Cuba, but it has since

been captured in St. Domingo and Jamaica, and may probably occur

elsewhere in the West Indies, or on the continental part of Central

America. Mr. Gosse, when in Jamaica, captured a specimen which flew in

at an open window, but did not allow itself to be taken until after a

very tedious pursuit, in which it manifested great agility on the wing.

He says that “in captivity it uttered once or twice, very slightly,

the peculiar short sound resembling the _clicking_ of some delicate

piece of machinery, which every one who is familiar with living Bats

will remember as common to most of these animals. It was very active,

leaping up to flight from the table, and expanding the wings in a

moment, though confined within a candle-shade. It bit fiercely at

the hand that held it, but could not draw blood from the fingers. It

usually carried the apical half of the interfemoral bent upward at the

point where it ceases to embrace the tail, so that the tail seems to

extend beyond the membrane. It is thus held by the calcanea, the tips

of which, curving downward, carry down again the tip of the membrane,

puckered into minute plicæ.”

Another species of this genus, _Chilonycteris Parnellii_, inhabits Cuba

and Jamaica, and two others, _C. personata_ and _C. rubiginosa_, occur

in Brazil, and extend thence to Central America.

Another allied form is Davy’s Bat (_Pteronotus Davyii_), which is

remarkable for having the wings attached along the course of the spine,

as in the Pteropid genera _Cephalotes_ and _Notopteris_ (see pp. 277,

278).

THE JAVELIN BAT.[236]

In the genus _Phyllostoma_ the nasal appendages are well developed;

there is a distinct horseshoe-shaped piece in front, and above the

nostrils rises a large lance-shaped leaf. The middle of the lower lip

shows a triangular naked patch with warty margins. The ears are of

moderate length and quite separate; the tail is much shorter than the

interfemoral membrane; and the first phalanx of the middle finger is

less than half the length of the metacarpal bone. There are, as usual

in this family, four incisors in each jaw; the canines are large and

powerful, and the lower jaw has only two premolars on each side. The

true molars are well developed, and show strong W-shaped cusps.

[Illustration: HEAD OF JAVELIN BAT.]

The Javelin Bat, which lives in all parts of tropical America, and

also occurs in the West Indies, is a large species, measuring more

than five inches in total length, and nearly twenty-three inches in

expanse of wing. Its fur is usually of a uniform brown colour; its ears

of moderate size, somewhat pointed, strongly excavated on the outside

below the apex, and with a lance-shaped tragus; the short tail extends

about one-third of the length of the interfemoral membrane, which is

stretched straight across between the long heel-spurs.

We have already referred at some length to the habits of this species

in connection with the charge of blood-sucking that has been brought

against it, and stated that when examined only remains of insects are

found in its stomach. It is described as having a lofty and powerful,

although not rapid flight. These Bats frequently make their way into

rooms through the open windows, when they fly about rather noisily.

In the neighbourhood of houses they sleep during the day among the

leaf-stalks of the cocoa-nut palms; in the open country they resort to

the hollow trunks of trees.

Numerous species nearly allied to this occur in Brazil and other

parts of America, such as _Phyllostoma discolor_ and _elongatum_,

_Mimon Bennettii_ and _megalotis_, in which the chin bears two warts

separated by a furrow; _Tylostoma Childreni_ and _crenulatum_, with

only two lower incisors; _Carollia brevicauda_, in which the middle of

the horseshoe is scarcely distinct from the upper lip; _Rhinophylla

pumilio_, in which the tail is entirely wanting; and _Phylloderma

stenops_ with three instead of two premolars on each side in the lower

jaw.

THE VAMPIRE BAT.[237]

The genus _Vampyrus_ differs from _Phyllostoma_ and its allies (except

the last) by the presence of three premolars on each side in the lower

jaw. The lower lip has two broad warts separated by a furrow; the ears

are large and separate; the first joint of the middle finger is more

than half as long as the metacarpal bone; and the tail is altogether

wanting. The nasal appendage has the horseshoe part well developed,

with the margin free and quite distinct from the upper lip.

[Illustration: HEAD OF VAMPIRE BAT.]

The Vampire, which was one of the earliest known species of these

American Bats, and is also the largest of all, is by no means an

amiable-looking animal. Its head is considerably elongated; the

nose-leaf is long and pointed; the wings reach the base of the outer

toe, and the middle of the hinder margin of the interfemoral membrane

projects in a little point, although, as already stated, there is no

tail to cause any such projection. The fur, which is long and soft, is

usually chestnut-brown above and pale beneath. The length of the head

and body in this Bat is about five and a half inches. From various

considerations, no doubt in part from its large size and ugliness,

this Bat has always been regarded as one of the most noxious of the

blood-suckers of its family, and, in fact, it owes its name of Vampire

to the belief in its sanguinary nature. But Mr. Bates, who certainly

had good opportunities of observing it, acquits the Vampire of this

charge. In describing his residence at Ega, on the Upper Amazon, he

says:--“The Vampire was here by far the most abundant of the family of

Leaf-nosed Bats. It is the largest of all the South American species,

measuring twenty-eight inches in expanse of wing. Nothing in animal

physiognomy can be more hideous than the countenance of this creature

when viewed from the front; the large leathery ears standing out from

the sides and top of the head, the erect spear-shaped appendage on the

tip of the nose, the grin, and the glistening black eye, all combining

to make up a figure that reminds one of some mocking imp of fable.

No wonder that imaginative people have inferred diabolical instincts

on the part of so ugly an animal. The Vampire, however, is the most

harmless of all Bats, and its inoffensive character is well known to

residents on the banks of the Amazons. I found two distinct species of

it, one having the fur of a blackish colour, the other of a ruddy hue,

and ascertained that both feed chiefly on fruits. The church at Ega was

the head-quarters of both kinds. I used to see them, as I sat at my

door during the short evening twilight, trooping forth by scores from

a large open window at the back of the altar, twittering cheerfully

as they sped off to the borders of the forest. They sometimes enter

houses. The first time I saw one in my chamber, wheeling heavily

round and round, I mistook it for a Pigeon, thinking that a tame one

had escaped from the premises of one of my neighbours. I opened the

stomachs of several of these Bats, and found them to contain a mass of

pulp and seeds of fruits, mingled with a few remains of insects. The

natives say they devour ripe cajús and guavas on trees in the gardens;

but, on comparing the seeds taken from their stomachs with those of

all cultivated trees at Ega, I found they were unlike any of them;

it is therefore probable that they generally resort to the forest to

feed, coming to the village in the morning to sleep, because they find

it more secure from animals of prey than their natural abodes, in the

woods.”

The two forms referred to by Mr. Bates in the above extract were

probably only colour varieties of _Vampyrus spectrum_, but several

nearly related species occur in tropical America. Thus, _Chrotopterus

auritus_ differs from the preceding only in having a short tail like

that of _Phyllostoma_, and the second lower premolar small, and placed

within the line of the teeth; _Lophostoma sylvicola_, _amblyotis_, and

_bidens_, all from Brazil, have the second lower premolar small, but

in the row, the horseshoe only developed at the sides, the lower lip

as in _Phyllostoma_, the first phalanx of the middle finger a little

shorter than the metacarpal, and only two incisors in the lower jaw;

_Schizostoma minutum_, _elongatum_, and _Behnii_, whilst agreeing

with _Lophostoma_ in the proportion of the first phalanx of the

middle finger, have the horseshoe and lower lip as in _Vampyrus_; and

_Trachyops cirrhosus_ has the lower margin of the horseshoe indistinct,

the lower lip with a double row of warts and a deep furrow, and the

second lower premolar very small, and placed within the line of the

row of teeth. These Bats are all inhabitants of the tropical parts of

America.

Neuwied’s Large-leafed Bat (_Macrophyllum Neuwiedii_) is one of the

few species of the present family in which the tail is respectably

developed. The ears are of moderate size and separate; the horseshoe

is well developed, and the nose-leaf very long, lance-shaped, and

pointed. The dentition is as in _Phyllostoma_. This is a small Bat,

measuring only about three inches and one-sixth in total length,

of which the tail occupies one inch and one-third. The fur is of a

sooty-brown colour, paler beneath; the nose-leaf is darker, and the

membranes lighter in colour than the body; the interfemoral membrane

has about half a dozen curved lines of small dark points towards its

apex. Neuwied’s Bat was discovered by Prince Maximilian in Brazil in

the forests of the banks of the Moucouri River. He describes it as not

very abundant, and as passing the day clinging to rocks and the trunks

of trees. Its stomach contained remains of insects.

The Large-eared Spear-nosed Bat (_Lonchorhina aurita_), an allied

species with a long tail and a very long nose-leaf, is a native of

the West Indies. The tail traverses the interfemoral membrane in the

fashion of that of a Vespertilionid Bat. The nose-leaf has a distinct

rib running up its middle, and at its base there is a deep pit divided

into two by a partition on each side of which are the nostrils, and the

place of the horseshoe is taken by a curious three-leaved process which

stands out in front of the nostrils.

THE GREAT-EARED LEAF BAT.[238]

The Great-eared Leaf Bat, an inhabitant of St. Domingo and Jamaica, is

the type of a remarkable little genus, characterised by having the ears

very large, membranous, and united at the base by a membrane; the nasal

appendage erect; the interfemoral membrane large, cut out behind in a

broad curve running from the tip of one spur to the other; and the tail

long, projecting by its last joint beyond the interfemoral membrane.

The head is rather long, and the jaws armed with four incisors in

each--the intermediate ones in the upper jaw being larger than the

lateral--two premolars in the upper, and three in the lower jaw, and

three true molars in each jaw. The species of this genus occur in the

West Indies, Mexico, and California.

The Great-eared Leaf Bat (_Macrotus Waterhousii_) is a small species,

the head and body measuring two inches and a half in length, and the

tail one inch and one-sixth. Its fur is of a mouse-colour, paler

beneath, and the nose-leaf is lance-shaped.

Our knowledge of the habits of this Bat is chiefly derived from

observations made in Jamaica by Mr. Gosse and Mr. Osburn. The former

says that it is one of the commonest of the Jamaica Chiroptera, and

that it is more addicted than any other species to visiting lighted

rooms at night. Mr. Osburn obtained it in abundance from caves; and he

adds that although it occurs in houses, it there always inhabits the

cellars, and is never found in roofs. The great breadth of the wings

gives it during flight an appearance of being larger than it really

is, and its flight, according to Mr. Gosse, is not so noiseless as in

Bats generally, but accompanied by an audible rushing sound. When on

the ground, it makes no attempt to crawl, but springs at once into the

air, and takes flight as readily as a bird. Mr. Osburn obtained many

females with their young, and describes the mode in which the latter

adhere to their mothers. He says the nipple was held by the little

hooked teeth of the young animal, while the fur, or even the thigh

of the opposite side, was grasped by its feet, so that the young Bat

lay diagonally across its mother’s belly. The food of the Great-eared

Leaf Bat consists for the most part of insects. Mr. Osburn found in

the stomach of one a yellowish mass, with fragments of the hard parts

of insects, among which were two short legs with strong claws, which

probably belonged to some species of Orthoptera.

From one observation it would appear that this Bat is supposed

sometimes to feed on fruits. Mr. Osburn says that at Mount Pleasant,

St. Ann’s, his attention was called to a number of spirts on the wall

in an open verandah, on examining which he says he detected seeds of

the fustic berry sticking to the wall. He was informed that they were

produced by these Bats, which came in at night, and hitched themselves

up, when a chewing might be distinctly heard, and then these splashes

on the wall. One let the legs and wings of a large Grasshopper drop.

The berries said to be particularly affected by these Bats were

those of the fustic (_Morus tinctoria_), the bread-nut (_Brosimum

alicastrum_), and the rose-apple (_Eugenia jambos_), all of which are

mentioned by Mr. Osburn as favourite articles of food with _Stenoderma

perspicillatum_, a true fruit-eating Bat.[239]

THE SORICINE BAT.[240]

[Illustration: HEAD OF SORICINE BAT.]

Agreeing with the Phyllostomes and Vampires in the form of the molar

teeth, the general form of the muzzle, the presence of a nose-leaf

and tragus, and some other characters, the _Glossophagæ_ exhibit some

striking peculiarities which serve to distinguish them from these and

all other Bats. Foremost among these is the structure of the tongue,

which is very singular. It is a long, somewhat compressed fleshy

cylinder beset with reversed hairs, and capable of being pushed out of

the mouth to a considerable distance. In the fresh state, according to

Rengger, it has a furrow running along the upper surface, and this, he

thought, rendered it specially applicable to the purpose of sucking

blood, which was formerly supposed to be a habit of all these Bats.

The lower lip is cleft, and the margins of the fissure furnished with

warts, a construction which also contributed to raise a suspicion of

the sanguinary habits of the animals. The horseshoe-shaped part of the

nose-leaf is very imperfectly developed, and the organ consists chiefly

of the lance-shaped leaf; there are four incisor teeth in a close row

in each jaw, the two middle ones in the upper jaw larger and broader

than the others; the upper jaw has two and the lower three premolars on

each side, and there are three true molars on each side in both jaws.

The Soricine Bat has received a great number of names; at least,

numerous supposed species founded upon slight differences of colour,

&c., are regarded by Professor Peters as all referable to the

species described by Pallas, in 1766, under the name of _Vespertilio

soricinus_. It is a small Bat about two inches and a quarter long

including the tail, which measures about one-sixth of an inch,

and is enclosed within the interfemoral membrane. The ears are of

moderate size and separate, with small, pointed tragi; and the body is

clothed with a rather long, soft, and thick fur, usually of a rusty

greyish-brown colour, paler on the lower surface. This Bat inhabits the

whole of the warmer part of South America, extending from the Brazilian

coast to the Andes, and northwards into Venezuela and Guatemala. It

is said to feed chiefly on insects, but probably, like the following

species, diversifies its food by eating succulent fruits, this being

apparently the purpose for which these animals are endowed with their

peculiar tongue.

REDMAN’S BAT.[241]

[Illustration: REDMAN’S BAT. (From the _Proceedings of the Zoological

Society._)]

The genus _Monophyllus_ is nearly allied to _Glossophaga_, but has

the incisor teeth in pairs, and the lower ones exceedingly small. The

interfemoral membrane forms a narrow border running up the legs, and

crossing from side to side; and the tail, although short, projects

beyond the membrane. The teeth are--incisors, (2–2)/(2–2), canines,

(1–1)/(1–1), premolars, (2–2)/(3–3), molars, (3–3)/(3–3). The only

known species is Redman’s Bat (_Monophyllus Redmanii_), in which the

head and body measure about two inches and one-sixth in length. The

expanse of wing is about twelve inches; the fur, which is thick, soft,

and glossy, is greyish-brown above with the tips of the hairs slightly

hoary, and dusky grey tipped with greyish-white on the lower surface.

The membranes are dark brown. This species occurs in Jamaica and Cuba.

It was found by Mr. Osburn at Cairo, in Jamaica. He describes it

as exceedingly fierce, drawing blood readily from the back of the

hand of its captor. Its activity was beyond anything he had seen in

Chiroptera. It ran round the box in which it was placed by a series of

little jumps, with almost the quickness of a Mouse, and jumped with

the agility of a bird. “On placing it under a glass,” he says, “after

its first efforts had a little subsided, I saw its tongue projected

very rapidly to the board. It seemed to me to be using an additional

sense to ascertain the nature of the unusual substance on which it

was resting. It frequently stretched its neck and head upwards, the

nose-leaf and round ears in motion, as if trying to ascertain whether

there was an aperture above, its bright little eyes piercing with

eagerness, and panting like a Mouse.” Mr. Osburn’s observations on the

specimens which he had in captivity seem to lead to the conclusion that

this Bat feeds on soft fruits, and that its long and peculiar tongue is

employed in sucking up their pulp.

_Ischnoglossa nivalis_ has the incisors in pairs and no tail. The

described specimen was obtained near the snow line on the Pic

d’Orizaba, in Mexico.

SEZEKORN’S LEAF BAT.[242]

The genus to which this Bat belongs is distinguished from all the

preceding ones in the group of _Glossophogæ_ by the absence or

imperfection of the zygomatic arch in the skull. In its dentition

it resembles _Glossophagæ_. The interfemoral membrane is merely a

narrow border round the legs, and the calcaneal spurs are very short,

or altogether wanting. There is a very short tail, which, however,

projects beyond the interfemoral membrane; the nose-leaf is extremely

short, or, indeed, almost rudimentary; and the tongue is very long,

pointed, and armed at the sides towards the tip with acute spines

turned backwards. This species was discovered in Cuba; it occurs also

in Jamaica.[243]

In the latter island Mr. Osburn found it inhabiting a cave in immense

numbers, flying about and swarming on the roof and walls like Bees in

a hive. The floor of the cavern was covered with bread-nut kernels and

munched berries of the clammy cherry (_Cordia collocasia_). The Bat

chirps and squeaks like a bird.

Mr. Osburn describes its manners in confinement as follows:--At first

the Bats were restless and fierce, biting violently. When exhausted and

quiet he gave them water, which “they drank eagerly, protruding the

tongue--the lip hollowed spoon-shape, and the bristles evidently taking

up a great quantity.” The fruit of the clammy cherry being offered to

them, they took no notice of it until Mr. Osburn thought of breaking

the skin, when the one he presented it to at last seemed to understand

the position of affairs, and licked at it vigorously. “The tongue,”

says Mr. Osburn, “was rapidly protruded and drawn in again, and the

juice and softer pulp cleared away with great rapidity. I noticed that

he was very particular in cleaning out the bit of loose skin of the

berry, and licked my fingers of the juice spilt on them, carefully

cleaning out any that had collected under the nail. The sensation

was not at all unpleasant, the tongue feeling soft and spongy, with

a slight scratching from the bristles. I then got another berry. The

Bat was hanging from the edge of the box, its ventral surface against

the side; and as I held the berry a little off, so as to see the

action of the tongue, it had, whilst feeding, to bend the neck, so as

to raise the head a little. This seemed to fatigue it. It therefore

raised itself on one wrist, and turned round, so that its back was

against the box’s side; but as it did not change the position of the

feet, of course the legs crossed.... In this odd position it seemed

perfectly at ease, and went on licking at a fresh berry with great

relish.... It seized it with its teeth savagely, and then shifted it

to one side of the mouth, so that the long sharp canines of one side

and the blunt molars held the berry.... This left room for the tongue

still to be protruded; for from the arrangement of the minute lower

incisors in a concave, the molars can be nearly closed, so as to hold

an object, and the tongue still have room for protrusion. The little

body trembled with the eagerness of his actions. As the pulp and juice

it could thus reach became exhausted, I expected it would drop it; but,

to my surprise, it brought up the wrists to the muzzle, took the berry

between them, gave it two or three energetic bites, and then held the

berry off. So I now understood what the long thumbs were for; for they

applied themselves dexterously to the berry, held it firmly, and then,

as it appeared to me, by a reverse action of the two wrists, the berry

was turned round, a fresh hold taken by the teeth, and the same licking

process renewed, till the seed in the centre was cleaned of the pulp,

all but the little bit which served for the last tooth-hold. It was

then dropped, and the eager little muzzle raised for more. I supplied

another, and soon I had a little heap of seeds, exactly like those

found in the cave.” This account is particularly interesting, and gives

us a clear idea of the proceedings of these curious Bats. Mr. Osburn

remarks that the Bats when holding the berries greatly reminded him

of Monkeys, and on placing them among the twigs of the cherry, their

climbing habits seem to have increased the resemblance.[244]

THE SPECTACLED STENODERM.[245]

A peculiar group of this family is formed by the genus _Stenoderma_

and its allies. In these Bats the muzzle is short, and the molar

teeth do not show the W-like pattern characteristic of the preceding

forms, but generally have some sharp points and a cutting edge on the

outside. The tail, when present, is very short, and the interfemoral

membrane is deeply cut out behind, so much so in many cases as to form

a mere narrow border to the legs. The nasal appendages consist of a

lance-shaped leaf springing from the middle of a regular horseshoe; and

the ears are separate, and furnished with a tragus. The Stenoderms have

been divided by authors into several genera, but the characters upon

which these are founded are for the most part so minute and uncertain

that it would be a mere waste of time to attempt to give them here.

The Spectacled Stenoderm (see p. 264) is one of the best-known species

of this group, and inhabits the larger islands of the West Indies, such

as Cuba, St. Domingo, and Jamaica, as well as the continental regions

of Guiana and Brazil. It is a large species, measuring from four inches

to four inches and a half in length, and from sixteen inches to twenty

inches in expanse of wing. Its fur is brown, and there is a whitish

arch above each eye. The nose-leaf, although lance-shaped, is somewhat

oblong in its form, having the sides nearly parallel for some distance;

and the wing-membranes are black. There is no tail. The species belongs

to the sub-genus _Artibeus_.

This species usually inhabits caves and recesses in the rocks, in

the former case generally keeping near the mouth of the cave; but

when the geological structure of a district is unfavourable for the

formation of caves, it takes up its abode during the day under the

fronds of the cocoa-nut palm. At Aquatta Vale, in Jamaica, Mr. Osburn

found these Bats clustering on the cocoa-nut trees so thickly, and

in such numbers, that a single shot brought down twenty-two, while

many others flew off, and took refuge in neighbouring trees. The food

of this species consists of various fruits, the seeds and kernels of

which are seen in abundance on the floors of the places where they

repose during the day. Mr. Osburn mentions the bread-nut (_Brosimum_),

the negro-cherry (_Cordia callococca_), the mango, and the rose-apple

(_Eugenia jambos_), as fruits upon which it feeds in Jamaica. He also

obtained from the intestines of several specimens numerous small seeds,

which he believed to be those of the fustic (_Morus tinctoria_). The

same observer noticed a curious habit of the species when alarmed--the

little round ears were kept in a state of rapid motion, but

alternately, so as to produce an effect like that of a person rolling

his eyes different ways. The nose-leaf was also slightly moved.

THE JAMAICAN STENODERM.[246]

This is very nearly allied to the preceding species, from which it

differs in its smaller size, being only about two inches and a half

long, and in the form of the nose-leaf, which is lance-shaped, with

regularly curved margins. It varies considerably in colour, but is

usually of various shades of brown.

Mr. Gosse observed the habits of this and the preceding Bat in Jamaica,

and describes them as exhibiting a special partiality for the fruit

of the _Achras sapota_, called in Jamaica the naseberry, a preference

already observed by Mr. A. Ricord in the case of the Spectacled

Stenoderm. Mr. Gosse says:--“About a quarter of an hour after the sun

has disappeared, and while the western horizon is yet glowing with

those effulgent peak-like clouds which only a tropical sunset displays,

we discover, by attentively watching the tree, the Bats begin to visit

it. First one comes, takes a rapid flight around the tree, darts once

or twice through the dense foliage, and winging away is lost in the

light of the sky. Another and another comes immediately, and performs

the same evolutions; and as the glory of the west fades away to a

warm ruddy brown, like the blush of a mulatto girl, many dusky forms

are discerned flitting round and round. By carefully following the

flight of an individual with the eye, we perceive that now and then

he alights for a moment on some object at the extremity of a bunch of

leaves; but no sooner has the eye rested on the spot than the sooty

wings are again spread, and he is pursuing his giddy course with his

fellows. The object of his attention is a ripe naseberry, nestled in

the midst of that rosette of leaves. Occasionally the weight of the

suspended Bat dislodges the ripe fruit, and it falls to the ground,

splitting with the shock. On picking it up, we see that it has been

just bitten, not gnawed, as by the rodent incisors of a Mouse, but

nibbled in a ragged manner. Though the Vampires often eat the fruit on

the tree in this manner, detaching minute morsels, and again and again

returning for more, it appears that not seldom they succeed in tearing

out a large piece, which they carry away; for fragments of naseberry of

considerable size, partly eaten by a Bat, are frequently found at the

distance of half a mile from the nearest naseberry tree, dropped on the

high road.” Mr. Gosse adds that this Bat also feeds on the rose-apple,

and Mr. Osborn describes it as consuming all the same fruits as the

preceding species.[247]

THE DESMODUS.[248]

The Desmodonts are in some respects among the most remarkable forms

of Bats; indeed, their characters are so peculiar that it may be a

question whether they ought not to form a distinct family in the order

Chiroptera. By some zoologists, indeed, this course has been adopted,

but as they agree with the Phyllostomidæ in the presence of nasal

appendages, and in the possession of three phalanges in the middle

finger, we have preferred to leave them in that family, at the same

time indicating their striking divergences from all its other members.

The dentition in these Bats is most singular, and as we shall see, its

peculiarities are so associated with the exceptional habits of the

animal, as to have far greater weight in the question of classification

than we have accorded to the dental characters in other families.

In fact these peculiarities, in combination with certain points of

internal anatomy, are so remarkable that Professor Huxley has suggested

the formation for the Desmodonts of a distinct group (_Hæmatophilina_)

of the Microchiroptera, which he apparently regards as equivalent in

classificational value to all the rest of the sub-order taken together.

The remarkable conformation of the teeth will be easily seen by

reference to the annexed figure. The upper incisor teeth, four[249] in

number in the young animal, become reduced to two in the adult, but

these are of enormous size, prominent, triangular, and very sharp.

The lower incisors, on the contrary, are small and have a two-lobed

crown. The canines of the upper jaw are nearly of the same form as

the incisors, but rather smaller; those of the lower jaw present no

remarkable peculiarity. The molar series of teeth, however, are most

peculiar--there are two in the upper and three in the lower jaw, but

the whole of them are small, compressed, sharp-edged, and furnished

with only a single root, thus presenting the characters of premolars,

as which, indeed, they are regarded by some writers. If this view of

their nature be correct the Desmodonts have no true molars.

[Illustration: SKULL OF DESMODUS.]