OUDKl! in. rilKIlIOrTKKA. 41 



Tlic ("onlated Bat of the Old ^N'orld hi'lonys also to the same family of 

 blood-sucking animals. It inhuliits Ja\a. It has an oval, or cordate 

 apjiendagc to the nose ; is about four inches h)ng, and of a mouse or russet 

 color. 



Gents Plf.cotus — T^ong-carcd Bats. These animals have cars more 

 than twice tiie length of the head. 



The Lonn--carcd Bat {I'/ecof/i.': (rnri/n.^) is the best known representative 

 of this fi'cnus. It abounds in France and England, where it inhabits houses 

 and kitchens, being of a docile nature, and is easily tamed. It is readily dis- 

 tinguished, by its extremely long cars, from all other bats. The fur is long, 

 fine, and silky, of a dusky brownish gray abo\e, and yellowish gray be- 

 neath. The delicate membrane that includes the limbs and tail is of a 

 dusky hue. It flies with a fluttering, shiiiiling motion, but rises with facility 

 from the ground, or even from the bottom of a box in which it may have 

 been kept. "When it alights, it clings by the hooks of its fore limbs and 

 by its hind claws. It adheres to the slig'atest asperities, and retires to 

 the corners of the deserted apartments of old buildings, steeples, and the 

 crevices of rocks, where it suspends itself by the hind feet, which are, as in 

 other bats, eminently adapted to the purpose, the claws being very acute, 

 and nearly of equal length. "When springing off from a wall, it raises its 

 fore legs first, stretches out its head, and erects its ears, which iiad been 

 folded down, and it retains them erect when flying. "When preparing for 

 rcj)ose, it brings the fore feet close to the body, the cubital joint projecting, 

 and, in contact with the knee, incurvates the tail, folds up the lateral mem- 

 branes ncatlv, and brimi's the ears backwards, curvinLT them along the side 

 of the head and body, so as to resemble a ram's horn, the tragus, or small 

 anterior appendage, projecting forward. Its ^c)ice is a low chir[)ing sipicak, 

 and, when frightened, it utters a querulous note, resembling the wailing ot 

 a very young child. 



Gexus GAL^oriTiiECUS — Tiie Colugos. The Gal;v>opithcci arc not so 

 well known as most of the other genera of this order. 



The C'olugos exhibit consideralde differences from the Bats proper, in 

 having their fingers, which are armed with trenchant nails, no longer than 

 the toes, so that the mc-nibrane which occupies their interval, and extends 

 to the sides of their tail, can only serve as a kind of parachute. (_)wing to 

 much similarity in structure, many naturalists range them with the Lemurs 

 in the Order of Quadrumana. They were called by Linnanis Lemur vohin-f, 

 — Flying Lemurs. They live on trees in the Indian Archipelago, and 

 subsist on insects and birds, and probaldy fruits. By means of the para- 

 chute mcmbnuie, they glide or le;ip tVom tree to tree the distance ot a hun- 

 dred yards. 



AO. II. 6 



