Chapter 38

HEAD OFTEMMINCK’S BAT.(After Dobson.)

A few species, very nearly allied to the preceding, form the genusScotophilus, in which the outer margin of the ear likewise comes down to the level of the angle of the mouth, but there are only twoincisor teeth in the upper jaw, instead of four as inVesperugo. These are stout-bodied Bats, with the muzzle nearly naked, the limbs strong, and the wing-membranes very thick and leathery, and scarcely encroached upon by hair. They are confined to the Eastern Hemisphere, and generally to its warmer parts, the species being found in Africa, Southern Asia and its islands, and in Australia. The best-known species is Temminck’s Bat (Scotophilus Temminckii), which enjoys a wide range from India and Ceylon eastward through Burmah and Southern China to the Eastern Archipelago, extending to the Moluccas and Philippine Islands. It is rather more than three inches in length, and varies considerably in colour, but is generally dark olive-brown above, and reddish or yellowish-white beneath. The fur, as throughout the genus, is short and close. The ear is peculiar in its form, and its outer margin sweeps round on the cheek and terminates in a convex lobe; the tragus is narrow and pointed, and considerably curved forwards and inwards. Temminck’s Bat is very abundant in the countries which it inhabits, and is one of the most prominent species of the group, seeing that it lives in large bands, often of several hundred individuals, in the roofs of houses and in hollow trees, and that it flies very early in the evening, in fact before the commencement of twilight. Temminck says that it feeds principally on White Ants (Termites).

The Harlequin Bat (Scotophilus ornatus), another Indian species, is remarkable for its coloration, which is a pale tawny-brown, curiously variegated with white spots. It has been obtained in India, Burmah, and Yunnan.

WELWITSCH’S BAT. (Half natural size.From theProceedings of the Zoological Society.)

This curious Bat, originally described by Dr. Gray from a specimen sent from Angola by the late Dr. Welwitsch, is especially remarkable for the brightness and variegation of its colours. The general tint of the fur is brown, the hairs being black at the base, with brown tips, which are longer and paler on the hairs of the lower surface, rendering the fur of that part paler than that of the back.The head also is pale, and the muzzle shows an orange tint, as do the ears, which are longer than the head, and rather acute, with a long pointed tragus, reaching nearly half-way up the ear. But the most striking peculiarity of the species consists in the colouring of the wings, which are yellowish-brown, dotted with black near the body, and beyond this chiefly blackish-brown, with numerous yellow dots arranged more or less regularly in curved lines, while a broad band of brownish-orange, bearing a few black dots, follows the course of the fore-arm, and gives origin at the wrist to three other bands of the same colour, one running down the margin of the wing and enclosing the first and second fingers, the other two following the course of the third and fourth fingers, and thus breaking the dark ground colour of the wing into three triangular patches. The occurrence of this peculiar mode of coloration in a Bat is the more remarkable as it is reproduced in at least two quite distinct species, namely, the OrientalVespertilio formosusandKerivoula picta, and in all these must probably subserve the same purpose, which Mr. Dobson with much justice supposes to be the protection of the animal by assimilating its appearance to that of withered leaves. The arms and legs in Welwitsch’s Bat are yellow, but the feet are black. The interfemoral membrane is yellowish-brown, with a few black dots, especially towards its margins. The length of the head and body is about three inches. Of the habits of this Bat nothing is recorded.

NEW ZEALAND BAT. (Half natural size.From theProceedings of the Zoological Society.)

Two species of Bats have been ascertained to inhabit New Zealand, and both present characters which isolate them systematically, just as much as their distant insular habitation does absolutely. The present species was discovered by J. R. Forster, the naturalist who accompanied Captain Cook, and described by him under the name ofVespertilio tuberculatus. It has short rounded ears; there are cutaneous lobes at the angles of the mouth, and three true molars on each side in both jaws. The upper incisors are in pairs, the inner ones much larger than the outer, and are separated from the canines; the pre-molars are small and pointed, and the molars of the ordinary form in the allied genera. The tragus is short, rather broad, and rounded at the tip. The wing-membranes spring from the base of the toes; the interfemoral membrane is large, and contains the long tail, of which the tip only projects; and the heel-spurs are long, extending one-third of the distance between the heel and the tip of the tail.

In its form and general proportions this Bat resembles the common British Pipistrelle, as also in the characters of the skull. In its dentition it has a still closer affinity to an Australian species, Gould’s Bat (Scotophilus Gouldii). The fur is of a blackish-brown colour on the head and back, becoming chestnut-brown on the rump; the lower surface is of a similar colour, but browner, and becomes reddish-brown towards the tail. The hairs are of one colour throughout their length. The length of the head and body is rather more than two inches, and that of the tail about an inch and a half. This Bat inhabits the middle island of New Zealand. Nothing appears to be known of its habits.

HEAD OFMOUSE-COLOURED BAT.

The genusVespertilio, as now restricted, comprehends a very considerable number of species distributed in nearly all parts of the world. It differs fromVesperugoin having the outer margin of the ear terminated opposite the level of the tragus, and not produced towards the angle of the mouth, and is further characterised by the nostrils being simple and crescent-shaped, and scarcely projecting from the muzzle. Eight species inhabit Europe, and five of these are found in Britain.

The Common Bat of the continent of Europe, the Mouse-coloured Bat of Prof. Bell (Vespertilio murinus), is a large species more than three inches and a half in length. Its fur is of a pale reddish-brown colour above and greyish-white beneath, but with the bases of all the hairs black; the head is long, the ears oval, narrowed towards the apex, as long as the head, and the tragus is nearly half as long as the ear, narrow, pointed, with its inner margin quite straight. The membranes are of a yellowish-brown colour.Vespertilio murinusis met with in the north-western Himalayas, and extends thence through Syria into Northern Africa. It is common in Central and Southern Europe, but in England is one of the rarest Bats; in fact the only known British-caught specimen was taken (most conveniently) in the gardens of the old British Museum. Its claim to be considered indigenous rests, therefore, upon a very insecure foundation. In many parts of Europe, however, this species is exceedingly abundant, and lives by hundreds together, chiefly in church-towers and other similar localities, issuing forth in the evening to prey upon the insects which fly at that time. Moths are said to be its favourite victims, and the harder parts of these insects, with portions of the wings, are found unaltered in the Bat’s excrement. Notwithstanding their social habits, these Bats are exceedingly quarrelsome; they fight vigorously with their sharp teeth and the claws of their thumbs, often tearing each other severely, and even breaking the slender bones in the wings of their adversaries.

The Reddish-grey Bat, or Natterer’s Bat (Vespertilio Nattereri), is an undoubted native of this country, although it appears to be local in its distribution. It has been taken near London, at Swaffham in Cambridgeshire, at Colchester and Norwich, at Chislehurst (hibernating in a chalk cavern), and at Arrow, near Alcester, in Warwickshire. It has also occurred in Ireland. It inhabits the continent of Europe from the Ural Mountains westward to Belgium and France, and in the south occurs on the shores of the Mediterranean. Apparently its range does not extend into Asia.

Natterer’s Bat has the fur reddish-grey above, and whitish beneath, the hairs of which it is composed being dark towards the base, with light tips. The ears are oblong-ovate, and about as long as the head, and the tragus is nearly two-thirds the length of the ear; but the most distinctive character of the species consists in the margin of the interfemoral membrane, from the tips of the spurs to that of the tail, being fringed with a row of long stiff hairs. In its social habits this Bat seems to agree with the Mouse-coloured Bat, but is much more amiable in its disposition. Specimens received by Mr. Bell from a cavern in the chalk at Chislehurst (where they were found hibernating in companywith several other species) were kept alive for a time by feeding them on bits of raw meat, and exhibited “great familiarity of disposition, not only by their friendliness towards their companions, but by their readiness in taking food from the hand, and in allowing themselves to be interfered with without evincing fear or anger.” These Bats were active in their habits, running and climbing about the cage with great agility. The sociability of character of Natterer’s Bat is still more strikingly shown by the curious description given in the second edition of Bell’s “British Quadrupeds” of a colony observed in the roof of Arrow Church, near Alcester. In a dark retreat, between the ceiling of the church and the tiled roof, “the Bats were seen adhering, by all their extremities, to the under surface of the row of tiles which forms the crest or ridge of the roof (partly supported, however, by the upper tier of roof-tiles on which the ridge-tiles rested), and others clinging to them, until a mass was made up three or four inches thick, six or seven wide, and about four feet in length. It would be wrong to call this their place of repose, as they presented a most singular scene of activity, the constant endeavour of those outside being to penetrate the mass, probably for warmth; and to do this they were continually poking their noses between those nearest to them, and then forcing in their bodies, to be in their turn again pushed to the outside. In this manner a regular bickering was kept up in the whole mass. However, they seemed to be very gentle, and to have no idea of biting or otherwise annoying each other.”

Daubenton’s Bat is another species which is almost confined to Europe. It is generally distributed over that continent from Finland and the Ural Mountains to Ireland and the Mediterranean, but is only of doubtful occurrence in North-western Asia. It is about two inches in length; its ears are about three-fourths the length of the head, oval, with the outer margin sinuated, and the inner margin folded in; the tragus is narrow, rather obtuse at the apex, and about half the length of the ear; the tail is longer than the body; the fur is usually reddish-brown, but sometimes dark brown or greyish-brown above, and ash-grey beneath; and the wing-membranes show a slight reddish tinge.

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 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 asto 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]

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.

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.

A small group of Bats, nearly related to the preceding, is distinguished as forming a distinct genus under the name ofKerivoula, 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.

TheHarpiocephaliare 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.

SKULL OF HARPY BAT,ENLARGED.

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 orwhitish-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.

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 genusAtalapha, to which the Red Bat of North America belongs, is very nearly related toNycticejus, and in fact its species have been not unfrequently placed in that genus. In general characters the two groups closely agree, but the head inAtalaphais 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 ofNycticejus, to the Western hemisphere.

SKULL OF RED BAT.(After Allen.)

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.

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]

Several species of Long-tailed Bats, peculiar to the Eastern hemisphere, have been formed into the genusMiniopterus, 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]

This is another of the forms occupying the border-land between the families ofVespertilionidæandEmballonuridæ, 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 especiallyNatalusandFuria. 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 genusPhyllorhina. The genus was described by MM. Lichtenstein and Peters under the name ofHyonycteris(Pig Bat), in allusion to the elongated and truncated form of the muzzle, which has somewhat of a Pig-like aspect.

FOOT AND THUMB OF THEBROWN PIG BAT, ENLARGED.(From theProceedings of theZoological 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]

HEAD OF STRAW-COLOURED BAT.(From theProceedings ofthe Zoological Society.)

In this curious little Bat, as inFuripterusandMiniopterus, 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 (seefigure, 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 crossover 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,2–26, canines,1–11–1, pre-molars,3–33–3, molars,3–33–3.

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.

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