Order 3. 



CARNARIA. 



59 



an organ of suction ; and their lips also have tubercles sj-mmetrically aj-ranged. They are American 

 animals, which run along the ground with more facility than the other Bats, and have a habit of 

 sucking the blood of animals. 



1. Tailless Phyllostomes (Vampijrus, Spix). 



Tlie Vampyre [of authors] (Vesp, spectrum, Lin.)— (fig. 

 12.) Tliis animal is reddish-bvown, and as large as a 

 Magpie. It has been accused of causing^ the death of 

 men and animals by sucking tlieir blood ; but the truth 

 appears to be, that it inflicts only very small wounds, 

 which may sometimes prove dangerous from the effects of 

 the climate. [Tliere are several others, certain of which 

 compose the divisions Madataus and Arctibeus, Leach, 

 LopJiosloma, Orb., (which is very like a Desmodus ex- 

 ternally,) Diphylla, Spix, and CaroUia, Gray, — founded on 

 trivial modifications of the form of the nose-leaf, trag'us, 

 and interfemoral membrane.] 



2. Phyllostomes with the tail enveloped in the interfe • 

 moral membrane. 



The Javelin Ph. (Vesp. hastatus, Lin.)— The leaf shaped 

 like the head of a javelin, with its edges entire. [Also 

 various others, some of winch constitute ilfacro/;Aj/W«w and 

 Brachyphylla, Gray.] 



3. Phyllostomes with the tail free above the membrane. 

 Ph. cremdatum, Geof. — The leaf indented on the side. 



M. Geoffroy distinguishes from the Phyllostomes 

 those species which have a' narrow extensile tongue, 

 furnished with papillas resembling hairs. He de- 

 signates them Glossophagues {Glossophaga). All 

 the species arc Ukewise from America. [These also 

 have been subdivided, according to the presence or 

 absence of a short tail, and other frivolous characters 

 into Phyllopliora and Anoura, Gray, Monopkyllus, 

 Leach, and Glossophaga, as restricted. Spix applies to 

 one of them {Gl. amplexicaudata, Phyllo2)hora of 

 Gray) the term Sanguisuga crudelissima, — " a very 

 cruel blood-sucker." According to Mr. Bell, the tongue of Phyllostoma, has " a number of wart-like 

 elevations, so arranged as to form a complete circular suctorial disc, when they ai'e brought into con- 

 tact at their sides, wliich is done by means of a set of muscular fibres, havnng a tendon attached to 

 each of the warts." The teeth of these animals, however, are decidedly ill-adapted for blood-letting. 



F,% 12.— VampTTUB spectmm. 



The True Vampyres (Desmodus, Pr. Max., Edostoma, Orb., Stejwderma ?, Geof.) 



This extraordinary genus has two immense, projecting, approximate upper incisors, and similar 

 lancet-shaped superior canines, all of which are excessively sharp-pointed, and arranged to inflict a 



triple puncture, like that of a Leech ; four bilobate inferior 

 incisors, the innermost separated by a wide interval ; the 

 lower canines small and not compressed : there are no true 

 molars, but two false ones on the upper jaw, and three on 

 the lower, of a peculiar form, apparently unfitted for mas- 

 tication (fig. 13). The intestine is shorter than in any 

 other known animal ; as blood, which probably constitutes 

 their sole food, is so readily assimilated.* They have the 

 general characters of the Phyllostomes externally, a small 

 bifid membrane on the nose, no tail or calcaneum, and the 

 interfemoral membrane but Uttle developed. Are also in 

 habitants of South America. 



rijj. 13.— Teeth of Desmodus. 



• In r^fsprrlilo noctulii, the intcsUne is only twice the length of I proceeds almost straijfht to the anus. It wo'ild be interesting Ic Unow 

 the body, wliile in PfTro^^uj it is full 'Jcven tinies. In Dcsmodifs, it ' the first or milli teeth of Z?fj;no(/H5. 



