Order 3. 



CAENARIA, 



G3 



M. GeofFroy also separates from the Bats 



The Oreillards (Plecotics), — 

 Which have the ears longer than the head, and joined above the cranium, as in the Megadcrms. 

 Rhinopomes, &c. Their tragus is Lirge and lanceolate, and there is an operculum to their auditor^ 

 orifice. 



riij. IS. — Kars oi" Plt;cotu3 aurites. 



The common species (Vcsp. auritus, Lin.) is still more 

 abundant in France tliau any of the Bats [and is equally 

 plentiful in England], inhabiting houses, kitchens, &c. Its 

 ears (fig-. 18) are nearly as long as its body [more than double 

 the length of the head; yet, Avhen reix)sing (as shown in 

 fig. 19), they are folded so as to be out of sight. Its peculiar 

 shuffling gait, with the head raised, is difl'erent from that of 

 the Bats with short ears ; and it may be tamed to hover around 

 with familiarity, and alight upon the hand for insect food. 

 The PL brevimanus, Jenyns, is merely the young ; but there 

 are several exotic species.] "We have also another, discovered by Daubenton, with much shorter 

 forming the equivalent division 



19.^Plcco[us auritaa. 



ears, [i:ow 



Barbastelle {Barhastenus, Gray) — 



The ears of uhich are moderate, united at base ; and there is a hollowed naked space on tho upper 

 surface of the muzzle, in 

 which the nostrils are situ- 

 ated ; but one pair of false 

 molars to each jaw, 



B. Daubentonii, Bell, (fig. 

 20,) is the only ascertained 

 species. It is of rare occcj- 

 rence in Britain, an d measures 

 lOJ inches in extent of wing.] 



Finally, Nycticcms*, Ra- 

 lin., [ Scotophilus, Leach, 



Plpistrellus, Bonap.], with n^. :n.— Barbaslellus Dau')e:.toni. 



ears of medium size, and the simple muzzle of the Bats, has only two incisors to the upper jaw 

 [which are widely separated, and close to the canines.] It doss not otherwise differ from Vespertilio. 



The known species are from North America, [but others have since been discovered in the ancient continent, 

 as N. Hcathii, Horsf., from India, and another from Java. Mr. Gray, indeed, includes most of the European Ba'.s 

 in his Scotophilus ; but Tcmminck, who rejects Plccotus even, suggests, and I think with reason, that the present 

 also is a superfluous division, based on insufficient characters. The Oreillards and Barbastelles are subordinate 

 to Vespertilio, also Euria, F. Cuv., {Furiptcrus, Bonap.) which has the tail partly cartilaginous, Natalus, Gray, 

 wherein the heel-bone extends the whole length of the interfemoral membrane ; Romicius, Gray, and Miniopterus, 

 Bonap. Alalapha, Rafin., is said to have no incisors, Hypcxodon, Rafin., to have incisors (of the usual number, 

 six) in the lower jaw only ; Lasiurus has been applied to a small group with the interfemoral membrane hairy ; 

 and, lastly, Pachyotus and Nyctahis, Bowditch, are divisions of no value whatever. It is to be regretted that 

 natm-alists cannot occupy then- time more profitably than in coining supernumerary names. 



• Sometimes •ivi-ittcn Xj/cticejus. — Ed. 



