1866.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON THE PHYLLOSTOMID.E. Ill 



2. Revision of the Genera of Phyllostomidce, or Leaf-nosed 

 Bats. By Dr. John Edward Gray, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S., &c. 



The Phyllostomidce may be denned as the Leaf-nosed Bats, with 

 well-developed intermaxillary bones, bearing permanent cutting- 

 teeth ; they have two bony joints in the index finger, and are con- 

 fined to the warmer part of the western hemisphere. 



The dentition of the different genera of this family is very similar. 

 They, like other Bats, have normally three grinders on each side of 

 each jaw ; but in one large tribe the hinder grinder is small, rudi- 

 mentary, and early deciduous, or altogether wanting ; and in another 

 genus that lives entirely on the blood of animals, and has very pe- 

 culiar digestive organs, the two hinder grinders in each jaw are 

 deficient, and the one that is present is reduced to a small size. 



They generally have two premolars in front of the molar in the 

 upper jaw, and three in the lower. The hinder premolar, which is 

 probably analogous to the flesh-tooth in Carnivora, is always present; 

 but the front one is often very small and deciduous, and in some 

 genera entirely absent. 



The more normal genera have four cutting-teeth in each jaw ; but 

 sometimes the hinder tooth on each side of the jaw is early decidu- 

 ous, being pressed out by the enlargement of the canine, or, if 

 present, is sometimes in front of that tooth, especially in the lower 



J aw - 



The number of the premolars has been extensively used in di- 

 viding the species into groups ; and considerable weight has been 

 attached to the presence or absence of the lateral cutting-teeth : but 

 in studying this character care should be taken as to the age of the 

 specimen under examination ; in some specimens these teeth are 

 shed when the canines enlarge, instead of being retained in front 

 of them. 



The family, since I wrote upon them in 1842, has received consi- 

 derable attention. MM. Gervais and De Saussure have written on 

 them ; the former has figured the skulls and teeth of many of the 

 species and genera. 



Mr. Tomes has published a revision of the species of Vampyrus, a 

 description of the very curious genus Lonchorhina, and some other 

 genera. 



Dr. Peters has for years been paying great attention to them, 

 having a monograph of them in the press illustrated with plates, 

 and has very lately published a revision of the genera and species 

 of the genus Vampyrus for the purpose of his monograph, of which 

 the paper above referred to must be regarded as the forerunner. 

 Dr. Peters has examined many of the typical specimens described 

 by Natterer, Wagner, and others in the continental museums, and 

 has thus got rid of a large number of nominal species. 



I am very much pleased to observe that, in his last paper, Dr. 

 Peters has placed considerable reliance in his generic characters on 

 the form and disposition of the warts on the chin, as this confirms 



