92 MAMMALIA— BAT. 



Their motion in the air is with less propriety to be termed a flight, than 

 a kind of uncertain flutter, which they seem to execute by struggles, and in 

 an awkward manner. They raise themselves from the ground with difficul- 

 ty, never soar to a great height, and are but imperfectly qualified to accele- 

 rate, or even to direct, their flight. This, far from being either rapid or 

 very direct, is performed by hasty vibrations in an oblique and winding 

 direction ; and in passing along they do not fail to seize all the gnats, moths, 

 and other nocturnal insects that come in their way. These they swallow 

 entire ; and in their excrements we meet with the remains of wings and 

 the other dry parts, which they have not been able to digest. Like quadru- 

 peds, the bat brings forth its young alive, and like them it has teeth 

 and nipples. 



From the observations of Spallanzani, it appears that many of the bats 

 possess an additional sense, by which, when deprived of seeing, they are 

 enabled to avoid any obstacles that may be in the way of their flight. 



It is affirmed that these animals do not produce more than two at a birth, 

 and that these they suckle, and even carry along with them as they fly. 

 They unite in numbers to defend each other from the cold ; they pass the 

 winter without awaking, without stirring, and without eating, from the end 

 of autumn till spring. Though they can more easily support hunger than 

 cold, and can even subsist a number of days without food, they yet belong 

 to the number of carnivorous animals ; for, when opportunity serves, they 

 will devour bacon, and meat of all kinds, whether raw or roasted, whether 

 fresh or corrupted. 



VAMPIRE BATS. 



THE ROUSSETTE,! THE ROUGETTE,2 AND 

 THE SPECTRE BAT. 3 



The roussette and the rougette seem to form two distinct species, which, 

 however, are so full of resemblances to each other, that they ought not to 

 be presented asunder. The latter differs from the former solely in the size 



1 Pteropus vulgaris, Geoff. The genus Pteropus has four upper and four lower incisors; 

 two upper and two lower canines ; ten upper and twelve lower molars. Molars with the 

 crown truncated obliquely, and marked with a longitudinal furrow ; head, long and 

 conical ; ears short, simple, with auricles ; no crest or nasal appendage ; tail short,or none ; 

 interfemoral membrane sloped off. An additional phalanx and nail on the index finger 

 of the wings ; tongue papillous. 



2 Pteropus stramineus, Geoff. 



3 Phyllostoma spectrum, Lin. The genus Phyllostoma has four upper and four lower 

 incisors ; two upper and two lower canines ; ten upper and ten or twelve lower molars. 

 Lateral incisors very small, the intermediate ones broader; head, long and conical ; nose 

 with two nasal crests, one like a leaf, the other of a horse-shoe form ; ears large, naked, 

 not united. Auricle internal, dentated ; eyes small and lateral ; tongue rough with homy 

 papilla? ; tail and interfemoral membrane more or less developed. 



