CARNARIA. 



71 



an organ of suction ; and their lips also liave tubercles symmetrically arranged. They are American 

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

 sucking the blood of animals. 



1. Tailless Phyllostomes (Vampyrus, Spix). 



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

 12.) This animal is reddish-brown, and as \arge as a 

 Magpie. It has been accused of causing the death of 

 men and animals by sucking their 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. [There are several others, certai]i of which 

 compose the divisions Madaiceiis and Arctibcus, Leach, 

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

 ternally,) Diphijlla, Spix, and Carollia, Gray, — founded on 

 trivial modifications of the form of the nose-leaf, tragus, 

 and interfemoral membrane.] 



2. Phyllostomes with the tail enveloped in the interfe 

 moral membrane. 



The .Tavelin Ph. (Vesp. linstatus, Lin.) — Tlie leaf shaped 

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

 various others, some of wldch consiityAe Macrophyllum and 

 Brachyphylla, Gray.] 



3. Phyllostomes with the tail free above the membrane. 

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



M. Geoffrey distinguishes from the Phyllostomes 

 those species which have a naiTow extensile tongue, 

 furnished with papillas resembling hairs. He de- 

 signates them Glossophagues {Glossophaga). All 

 the species are likewise from America. [These also 

 have been subdivided, according to the presence or 

 absence of a short tail, and other frivolous characters 

 into Phyllophora and Anoura, Gray, Monophyllus, 

 Leach, and Glossophaga, as restricted, Spix applies to 

 one of them {Gl. amplexicaudata, Phyllophora of 

 Gray) the term Sanguisuga crudelisshna, — " a very 



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

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

 tact at their sides, which is done by means of a set of muscidar fibres, having a tendon attached to 

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



Fig. 1-J.- 



The True Vampyres {Desmodus, Pr. Max., Edostoma, Orb., Steaoderma ?, 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 ou 

 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 little developed. Are also in- 

 habitants of South America. 



oth of Desmodus, 



* In T'csprrtilo noctula, the intestine is only twice the li 

 the body, while in Ptrrupua it is fuU seven times. In Dean. 



proceeds almost straight to the nnus, !t i 

 the tirst ur milk teeth of Detiiwdua. 



ould be intercstint; to kn 



