IHfi 



FAMILY KIIINOLOIMIIIt.F,. HORSE-SIloE li 



These families are all distributed in large numbers over a con- 

 siderable ]art of the <Johe. extending almost to tbe coldest 

 regions; but it is in tropical regions that the Bats are most 

 abundant, and attain the largest dimensions. No fewer than 

 fifteen species arc- known to inhabit this country; of these, all 

 but two belong to the family Vespertilionidre. 



1G9. The family RliiNOLoFHiDjE, distinguished from the 

 other insectivorous Bats, by the extraordinary development of 

 the nasal appendage, contains a lar^e number of specie's, most of 

 which are inhabitants of the Eastern hemisphere, especially the 

 islands of the Indian Archipelago. Two <pecies are known in 

 England, under the name of the Greater and Lesser Horse-shoe 

 Hats ; which designation they have? received from the peculiar 

 form of the front of the nose-leaf. These animals are not 

 common ; for they inhabit only the darkest and least accessible 

 caverns, subterranean quarries, and other like 1 situations, scarcely 

 ever coming forth into daylight. Hence their habits are but 



little known. Most of this 

 familv are remarkable for 

 th<' threat development of 

 their integuments ; in the 

 M('</c.(/<>nns of Africa and 

 tin 1 Indian Archipelago, 

 there is not only an enor- 

 mous rose-leaf, but a very 

 large pair of ears ; the 

 win-^s too, being of great 

 s'/e ; whilst in the Ni/r- 

 t<'riiif; of the same conn- 

 tries, the skin is loosely 

 attached to the body, 

 and may be distended by 

 air blown hi nealh it, o 

 as to make the animal 

 look like a little balloon, 



FIG. (;. IlKAi>r,p MKCJADKHMA FHONS r . , , . , , , 



furnished with head, wings, 

 ;md feet. This is done by the animal itself, through an aper- 



V%rt 



