184 



GEOGEAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 



[part IV. 



Family 13.— NOCTILIONID^. (14 Genera, 50 Species.) 



General Distribution. 



The Noctilionidse, or short-headed Bats, are found in every 

 region, but are very unequally distributed. Their head-quarters 

 is the Neotropical region, where most of the genera occur, and 

 where they range from Mexico to Buenos Ayres and Chili, while 

 in North America there is only one species in California. They are 

 unknown in Australia ; but one species occurs in New Zealand, 

 and another in Norfolk Island. Several species of Dysopes (or 

 Molossus) inhabit the Oriental region ; one or two species being 

 widely distributed over the continent, while two others inhabit 

 the Indo-Malayan Islands. A species of this same genus occurs 

 in South Africa, and another in Madagascar and in the Island of 

 Bourbon ; while one inhabits Southern Europe and North Africa, 

 and another is found at Amoy in China. It will be seen there- 

 fore, that these are really South American bats, which have a few 

 allies widely scattered over the various regions of the globe. 

 Their af&nities are, according to Mr. Tomes, with the PhyUos- 

 tomidse, a purely South American family. The species which 

 forms the connecting link is the Mystacina tuherculata, a New 

 Zealand bat, which may, with almost equal propriety be placed 

 in either family, and which affords an interesting illustration of 

 the many points of resemblance between the Australian and 

 Neotropical regions. 



Dr. Peters has separated this family into three, — Mormopidae, 

 which is whoUy Neotropical, and is especially abundant in the 

 West Indian Islands ; Molossidae, chiefly consisting of the 

 genus Molossus ; and Noctilionidse, comprising the remainder of 

 the family, and wholly Neotropical. Mr. Dobson, however, 

 classes the Mormopes with the Phyllostomidge, and reduces the 



