THE VAMPIRE BAT 1 3 



Species present a far more forbidding exterior. 

 The mastiff muzzle of the molossus bat, the distorted 

 head of the tomb bat, or the bare puckered skin of 

 the naked bat, are far more repulsive and hideous. 

 Harmless species indeed are often remarkable 

 by reason of the nose- or chin-leaves on their 

 faces. These tags of skin are supposed to exert a 

 tactile function, like the whiskers of a cat : in the 

 flower-nosed bat of the Solomon Islands they attain 

 the acme of development, the face of this singular 

 creature being masked by a rosette of crumpled skin 

 which extends upwards as far as the eyes. Con- 

 trasted with these strange creatures the vampire 

 seems a commonplace and almost homely little 

 beast. Cum litis non facit inonachum. 



The internal structure of Desmodus in,tfus amply 

 atones in interest for the dull exterior which would 

 cause many to pass it by unheeded. To begin with, 

 the teeth are highly specialised for the purpose of 

 bloodletting. Molars are useless to an animal which 

 never chews, hence they are but rudimentary in the 

 lesser vampire and absent in the desmodus. On 

 the other hand this nocturnal surgeon requires a 

 lancet for cutting the skin; hence the upper in- 

 cisor teeth are reduced in number, increased in 

 size, and sharp-edged like chisels. The canine or 

 eye teeth are large and sharply-pointed, and even 

 the rudimentary premolars are trenchant, working 

 against each other. When the mouth is closed the 



