HI 



<HK.lliorrF.l5A. 



rilKIUOITKKA. 



CHKlliolTK.liA u'/>. "'">''. w"pir, a wing\ the name of a 

 natural family or division of Mamniiferous Animals; the Bata or 

 Flitter-Mico of the Kliglish ; Kledermauser of the ( leriuans ; Vnper- 

 tilionrt of the Latins ; 1'ipistrelli and Xottoli of the Italians ; Chauve- 

 souris of the French. 



The animals belonging to this wing-handed family embrace those 

 which come under the genus of 1. inn, ens. They all have 



the faculty of sustained flight, and their organisation and habits 

 them out aa a separate and well-defined group, distinguished by 

 a folding extension of the membranous skin, which, rising from 

 the sides of the neck, is spread between their fore feet and their 



UMn. 



Organisation. Skeleton. The skull is thin, and there is a marked 

 difference between that of the so-called Frugivorous group (Fttropua 

 and l'ri'lia!<ilf\ and the true or Insectivorous I'.. its, the former being 

 much more elongated than the latter. The Kmy tentorium, so 

 strongly developed in the majority of the Cunn'ivni, is entirely absent ; 

 but there is a considerable development of the auditory portion of 

 the temporal bone. The occipital bone is remarkably narrow. The 

 superior maxillary is very much elongated, particularly iu the so- 

 called Frugivorous order.a term which we wouldeliange for Omnivorous, 

 for their well-developed sharp canines, and the structure of some of 

 their other teeth, would seem to be more trenchant than fruit-eating 

 habits alone would require; and indeed Cuvicr, in the last edition 

 of the Keguo Animal,' says of the genus Ptrroptw, "they live prin- 

 cipally on fruit, of which they destroy a great deal; but they know, 

 nevertheless, how to pursue birds and small cpiadrii|>cd.i ;" and we 

 think it highly probable that they occasionally prey on the large 

 insect* which are found in the climates they inhabit. All the family 

 have four great canine teeth, but there is considerable difference 

 n the molars of the fruit-eating section and of that whose diet 

 is confined entirely to insects, the crowns of the former being com- 

 ' -ly blunt, and hollowed out or grooved lengthwise, while those 

 of the latter are shorter and sharper, and U-set with iHiiiits. The 

 m number in the different genera, the smallest develop- 

 ment Wing three in each jaw, and the largest five above and six 

 below, i ice versa. The incisors set iu the small and short inter 

 maxillary bones \ar\ al-o in the different genera. The smallest 

 number in the upper jaw is two, and the largest four; the smallest 

 numliT is also two 



dieply uiai-ked. The haliita of the niiimal rcnuiivd an ample 

 development of these parts to give the shoulder the renuired solidity 

 for working the mechanism of the wing, and we accordingly find the 

 strength thrown into the sternum, clavicles, ami scapula. l!ut these 

 same liabits would have reudoreil the rotatory motion of the fore arm 

 worse than useless, for such a disposition would have weakened the 

 power of the limb in beating the air with the e\tciiile\l membrane. 

 We accorilingly find that this power is absent : the ulna, indeed, is 

 remarkably small, and in some the bone is merely rudimentary, 

 forming a mere Hat process, only partially separated from the radius ; 

 there is no olecrnnon iclbowV The hunicrus is long, slender, and 

 cylindrical, and the head of the bone large and round. The structure 

 of the wrist is peculiar : lirst come two bones uc\t to the radius, and 

 on these that bone ivst ; one of these is very large, and the other 

 very small- the second series consists of the usual four bones; but 

 it is in the bones of the metacarpus and of the lingers that the 

 adaptation of the osseous parts of the animal to its necessit 

 perhaps, mo sho\\n. These, with the exception of the 



phalanges of the thumb, are greatly elongated, and run outwards and 

 ilo\\ nwards to the edge of the w ini; membrane, something after the 

 fashion of the w halcbonea that assist in spreading an umbrella. The 

 first finger is the .shortest, and extends to the upper angle of the 

 outer edge of the membrane; the second is generally the longest, and 

 the third and fourth nearly of a length; the last three descend to 

 the lower edge of the membrane. The pelvis is straight and 

 lengthened, and rather wider below than it is abo\c, the ilia being 

 very narrow and elongated. The ossa ischii approach e\ en to the 

 contact of their tnberosities, and in some examples touch the oasa 

 coccygia. The ossa pubis, in some species, recede from each other, 

 the intermediate space being tilled by a ligament; and in others 

 these bones touch each other in the male, and are separated in the 

 female. The saeruui and ilia are luiehylosed early in life. The lower 

 extremities , lo not otlcr :iu\ \cr\ Mnkm.c, ditl'ci dices from those of 

 other mauimifers, excepting that, the thighs being directed outwards, 

 the bonea of the leg are partially turned round as it were ithe fibula 

 appearing at the inner side of tlio tibia, and a little posterior to that 

 bone\ und that there is a singularity almut the heel \nclongated 

 delicate IKUIV process is gi\eu oil' from the back part of the foot, i.s 

 inclosed iu the margin of the intertcmoral membrane, and proceeds 



about, halfway to 



1 * * 



in the lower jaw, 

 ami the largest six. 

 The atlas a of 

 considerable size, 



but the d. -: 



not large. The 

 greatest numU-r of 

 the dorsal verte- 



twelve, the 

 smallest eleven. 

 The canal for the 

 spinal cord is 

 large in these verte- 

 I'lic lumbar 



number; th. 



iiber is four, 

 1 seven. 



The 



are slender and 



V'l their 



use seems only to 



assist (some 

 what liku a 



in spreading the 



illterfe -al por 



lion of the mem- 

 branes, by the aid 

 of which the ani- 

 mal sails in the 



', , fl, mnnubrlul bone ; ft, xipboid rnrtllnfrr ; r, romrotd bunr ; <t, elaviclr; r, liouldt-r.hhulr ; /, hutnrrux ; 



'' ' I, radius; A, rn.llim-iu ..! iilnn ; i, catpiin (wrlut) ; *, iiwteiir|>u of tlumil., i, i TIHH,.I. .1 In li.|..i.liii|iril 



pbnlsnx -, /, niFtnr.irpal bourn of thr tlnpci-i; m, diirttnl phlnni ; , p,-l.is; ... I. mm ; ,-. nl.n, ; ,/, tlbulii ; 



twelve ; for in the r> | Br ,,i honc of foot j , tv lil.irm ppcnilii||c to at calcU ; I, iiu-tiilurxiu and loe ; , tuil. 

 majority the tail 



y 



Al i M I l * 



the tail. ( uvier 

 thought, this a por- 

 tion of the os 



I ' lubclltoll, 



that it was a ,lis 

 tinct bone; and 

 Jlcckcl, thai 

 onU a develop 

 men! of the I llbcro 

 :l!\ of the bone. 



disunited from its 



l-.--.ides the dif- 



ference of the molar 



teeth in the Kruit- 



Kuting (or Omni- 



' and the 



Iu In ..... u , I'.. it , 



the stomach and 



Ski'lrlini of Hut (rnprrtilio muri'iiHi). 



- t.. III.- margin of the membrane, while in soiin- it protrudes 

 b.-\..n.l it, and in other* it, does not i.-a.-h m..i.- t him half way. In 



'. them is no trace of these bum-s. 



The ribs are remarkably long, vxeept the first pair, whieh is very 

 nlii'rt, .in. I remarkably broad, especially in tho cartilage, which is 



I; ami the sternum is highly dc\cloped, as might bo expected 

 from the exigencies of the animal. The anterior portion is expanded 



laterally into what is ten 1 the mannbriiim, whieh seems to be 



largest iu the llor.se Shoe I'.ut. (/Mi'n'iiji/inA forming a suitable point 



of attach III. lit t", ,| Hi' trODf I"":', al , In-.l i !.i\ i. 1. . llH b :uv articli 



luted both to the sternum and scapula; the latter i< \ei-y luge anil 

 elongated, and the lower surface is very OOOOaTC, The !'.... -a- lor tin- 

 muscles, both above and below the spino of this bone, are 

 HAT. HIST. DIV. VOL. 1. 



\ ,o 



I'll.- .- .loiuach of the 

 former is very emu 



plicated, an. I the 



intestines very 

 long in /VIT.I;IM,, 

 for example, they 

 are seven t hues as 

 long as t he bo.l\ . 

 Ill the latter the 

 stomach i.s \.-rv 

 simple, nn.l m. i . I \ 

 divided into the 

 cardiac and pylorie 



and the are Hot more thllll Iwiee the length of 



the body. The e ditleivuc. -i, together with that ol the grenlcr or 

 less devi'lopm. -nt of the tail, which is powerful, generally speaking, in 



the true In , tn.'ious lints, and either absent, rn. limenlarx . . n . 'in 

 parativelj inellicient in the l-'rilit luiters, which la.-l do not i. 'quire to 

 turn so rapidly us the desultory Might, of the prey of the former 

 makes it. necessary for them to do I' ..... i, it i .hue, a marked distinction 

 b.-tw.-eii the !..' groups; but we are, notwithstanding, of opinion 

 that mj few bats eoliline t llcmseU ,-s entirely to a vegetable diet 



The nervous .system of I 'If I/"/''"'" is fully developed. The ...ellKCH 



of taste, smell, night, and hearing arc acut.-. The external . .n . 

 large in many "I the species. Tb. n . of touch, or a 

 analogous d. it, nm .- t be highly developed. Spallan/.ani we cannot, 



