THE CALIFORNIA VAMI'IRE. I33 



Bates and Watcrton affirm that it is mainly friigivorous. The former 

 opened the stomach of several specimens and loiind that they contained 

 various kinds of seeds mixed with the remains of insects ; the guava fruit 

 is an especial object of their attack. The latter observed these bats in 

 a moonlit night fluttering round the tree-tops evidently eating the buds. 

 It is difficult to discover in many cases what species a traveler describes 

 under the name of Vampire, and in ordinary language it designates all 

 the bats that suck blood. 



GENUS DESMODUS. 



This genus possesses nasal leaves in the form (jf the letter V, large 

 ears that stand wide apart, no tail, and a mere strip of femoral membrane. 

 The crowns of the molars form a long cutting-edge. The " tragus," or 

 inner ear, is long and pointed. 



The species Dcsmodus rufiis, which is usually regarded as the represen- 

 tative of the genus, is russet-brown on the back, but silver-gray on the 

 under surface. The nasal leaf, ears, arms, and legs are thinly clothed 

 and appear flesh-colored ; its length is about two inches and a half, its 

 spread of wing twelve inches. It is abundant in Brazil. Mensel states: 

 " In capturing these animals, I have often seen the wounds they inflicted 

 on the noses of my dogs and on my own hands; they bite with lightning 

 speed : even when they appear only to touch the skin, a part is soon felt 

 to be removed. They do not hold on with their teeth like other varie- 

 ties." 



GENUS MACROTUS. 



The Californian Vami'IKE, Macrotus Calif ornicus, although a quite 

 distinct species, is nearly related to some of the West Indian bats. It 

 has a long head and a face covered with hair, which grows somewhat 

 thinly on the large oblong ears, while the neck behind them is almost 

 bare. The fur is white and fawn-colored, each hair being tipped with 

 white, but that on the face is somewhat inclined to brown. Its dental 

 formula is 



I. -— , C. "~ ' , M. 5 ~ 5 ^ 34. 

 2 — 2' I — i' 6 — 6 ^^ 



