Mum. Classification, 3. 



IV, The distinctive character of the CHEIROPTERA* 

 consists in a delicate leathery membrane, which, uniting the 

 four long fingers, that radiate widely from the wrist, and filling 

 up the space between them and the side of the body, has the 

 appearance of a wing. 



The Four Families composing this Order are 



1. The Vesper tilionidce, or true bats; 2. the HhinolophtdcBy 

 or horse- shoe bats, with a leaf- like membrane on the nose ; 

 both chiefly insectivorous ; 3. the Phyllostomidce, or Yam- 

 pyres ; and, lastly, 4. the Pteropidce or Roussettes, with head 

 of dog- like form, both of which are chiefly frugivorous. 



Y. The RODENTIAf are characterised by two large and 

 long curved incisors in each jaw, separated by a wide interval 

 from the molars, and the divided upper lip. 



This Order comprises Eight Families: 

 1st, the Leporidce, at once distinguished from all the other 

 Rodentia by the possession of a small incisor behind each 

 normal one. 2nd, the CavidcB, in which the tail is either 

 rudimentary or entirely wanting. 3rd, the HystricidcBy dis- 

 tinguished by the spiny quills covering their bodies. 4th, 

 the Chinchillidcey with large broad ears and tufted tail. 

 5th, the Castoridce, distinguished from all other Rodents by 

 their horizontally flattened tail, of a nearly oval form, and 

 covered with scales. 6th, the Muridce, which have only four 

 toes on the anterior feet, and a sort of wart to represent the 

 thumb, and a long scaly tail. 7th, the Myoxidce, intermediate 

 between the preceding more or less mouse-like animals and 

 the true squirrels. And, lastly (8), the Sciuridce, which may 

 be recognised by their very compressed lower incisors and by 

 their long bushy tail. The Cheiromys, or Aye- Aye, classi- 

 fied by Cuvier among the Rodents, is now considered to 

 belong rather to the Lemuridge (Quadrumana). 



;^/j, hand : irrt^tv, wing. 



t Synonymous with the Glires of Linnaeus. 



