vespertilionin.e 165 



Family VITSPERTILIONID^. 



1821. Vespertilionichx Oray, London IMecl. Repos., xv, p. 299, April 1, 1821 



(part). 

 1857. Vespertiiiones Blasius, Siiugethiere Deutschlands, p. .37. 

 1878. Vcspertilionidx Dobson, Catal. Chiropt. Brit. ]\Ius., p. 1G7 (except 



the genera Natalus and Thyroptera). 

 1907. Vespertilionidx Miller, Families and Genera of Bats, p. 195, -Tune 29, 



1907. 



Geographical distribution. — Eastern and western hemispheres 

 to the limits of tree growth ; in the Atlantic to the Azores, and 

 in the Pacitic to the Galapagos and Hawaiian Islands from 

 America, and to Australia, New Zealand and Samoa from Asia. 



Characters. — Ear with tragus ; muzzle without distinct leaf- 

 like outgrowths ; skull with premaxillaries represented b}' nasal 

 branches only, the two bones very earl\' fused with surrounding 

 parts ; median length of palate greater than least distance between 

 tooth-rows ; auditory bulla not emarginated on inner side ; shoulder 

 girdle normal, without fusion of its elements : secondary 

 articulation of humerus with scapula better developed than in 

 the Rhiiiolvphidse ; fibula very slender, not adding appreciably to 

 strength of leg ; foot normal, the toes slender ; tail not project- 

 ing conspicuously beyond membrane. 



Memarks. — This family is the most widely distributed group 

 of bats as well as one of the richest in genera and species. Forty- 

 one genera are at present known, eight of which occur in 

 Europe.* 



Sub-Family VESPERTILIONIN^. 



1878. Vcspertilioius Dobson, Catal. Chiropt. Brit. IMus., p. 168 (except 



genera Kcrivoula and Harpiocephalus) . 

 1907. Vespertilioninx Miller, Families and Genera of Bats, p. 197, June 29, 



1907. 



Oeof/rapliicdl distrihniion. — Same as that of the family 

 Vespertilionidse. 



Characters. — Sternum slender, its entire length considerably 

 more than twice greatest width of presternum ; median lobe 

 very much smaller than body of pre.sternum : six ribs connected 

 with sternum ; seventh cervical vertebra not fused with first 



* The American Nycteris cinerea has been recorded (under the name 

 Vespertilio pruinosiis) from South Ronaldshay, Orkney Islands, but the 

 occurrence seems open to question (see Wolley, The Zoologist, vii, p. 2343, 

 1849; Yiii, pp. 2G95-96, 2813-14, 1850; Barrett-Hamilton, Hist. Brit. 

 Mamm., i, pp. 222-224, March, 1911). 



A specimen of another North American member of this genus 

 (N. borealis), bearing the label: " Villeveque (Maine & Loire), 8. 1. 89," is 

 hgured by Trouessart in Bull. Soc. Zool. de France, xxx, p. 152, 1905. 

 This is copied, with change of locality from Maryland to France, from a 

 figure published in Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus., No. 39, pt. N, 1899 and 1901. 

 Though intended merely as a guide in preparing specimens, Dr. Trouessart's 

 publication might be misinterpreted as a French record of the species. 



