Mr. Montagu's Account of some Species of Bats. jCj 



teats very near together, situated on the lowest part of the ab- 

 domen, close to the pubis. It may readily be imagined that so un- 

 expected a discovery scarcely admitted the senses to determine the 

 validity of ocular demonstration ; the aid, however, of glasses left 

 no doubt of the fact, and a scientific friend confirmed my opinion. 

 At the moment of this discovery I had emboweled all the spe- 

 cimens of V. Ferrum-equinum, and consequently cannot determine 

 whether they are similarly formed or not; nor have I since pro- 

 cured a female Bat of any other species to examine, so that it 

 yet remains to be ascertained whether this structure is peculiar 

 to one or more species, or that the two abdominal papilla? are 

 really essential to the generic character of these animals, but 

 hitherto overlooked, by being so far removed from the others. 

 On future observation must depend the place to which the Bats 

 should be properly consigned in the systematic arrangement of 

 quadrupeds. If some species only are found to possess four pa- 

 pillae, it would be a very considerable violence to nature to divide 

 them on that account ; and yet to retain them undivided in the 

 order of primates, according to the Linnaean definition, would be 

 inconsistent: but on this part of the subject there is no neces- 

 sity of enlarging until we become more enlightened. 



It is probable the papillae of all the smaller Bats are so con- 

 tracted, except at the time of administering nourishment to 

 their young, that they are not discoverable with the utmost at- 

 tention, for even in the V. Ferrum-equinum no pectoral teats were 

 to be discovered, although the sexual distinction was sufficiently 

 evident But this yc ,y contracted state of those parts, when 

 nature has no demand for the use assigned to them, is not peculiar 

 to these volant quadrupeds, since we find the same difficulty in 

 discovering them in mice. 



These Bats were taken in a large cavern near Torquay in De- 

 vonshire, 



