CHEIROPTERA. 115 



The best arrangement of the Cheiroptera^ appears 

 to be that of Mr. Macgillivray, which combines all 

 the essential information found in Temminck's mo- 

 nograph, with certain modifications of Isid. Geof- 

 froy, Spix, Gray, and Lesson. The bats not being 

 an order commanding sufficient interest with the 

 general reader, we shall review it with some brevity, 

 dwelling only on a few of the species which have 

 claims to a particular notice, while, for the rest, we 

 expose only the characters distinguishing the tribes 

 and genera. "We name, 



Family I. Harpyidte. The Frugivorous Bats, 

 or Meganycteres of Latreille. They have molar 

 teeth, with flat or slightly crested crowns ; the index 

 or first finger of the wing with three phalanges, 

 usually with a nail. They reside in China, Japan, 

 Southern Asia, the East Indies, the Indian Archi- 

 pelago, New Holland, the Mauritius, Madagascar, 

 and Africa; but are not found in America or Europe. 

 The species are, in general, larger than the insect 

 eating bats, and proportionally less supplied with 

 membranous surface for flying ; still some are also 

 sufficiently diurnal to have been shot on the wing, 

 in open day, several miles from the land, in the 

 straits of Malacca and Banca. Some of the Egyp- 

 tian species may have extended anciently along the 

 coast of Syria and Asia Minor, and similarly others 

 from Morocco to the south of Spain, for either 

 directly or indirectly, that tribe especially, which is 

 destitute of tail, was the type which served the 





