210 SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS VOL. 69 



sleep in the open air, unprotected by netting. I was told that in a few 

 instances bats had been known to bite sleeping natives, usually 

 choosing the ears or toes for their attacks. Horses and mules, bow- 

 ever, frequently suffer from them. Streaks of blood-matted hair 

 extending down from small incisions on the withers or sides of the 

 neck are common evidence of their nocturnal visits. The wounds 

 are usually slight and heal quickly without attention, bnt sometimes 

 become infested with the larvae of viviparous flies which may cause 

 the death of the animal. 



Specimens examined: Boqueron, i 1 ; Bogava. 3 2 ; Cana, 4; 

 Taboga Island, 2. 



Genus DIPHYLLA Spix 



The genus Diphylla is externally similar to Desmodus, but has 

 shorter, more rounded ears ; the thumb is reduced to about one-eighth 

 instead of about one-fifth the length of the third finger, and its 

 metacarpal lacks the distinct pads on the inner side in the latter 

 genus. The corresponding teeth differ in important structural details 

 from those of Desmodus, and are increased by a pair of minute outer 

 incisors, and a pair of upper and lower molars, to 26 in number. 



DIPHYLLA CENTRALIS Thomas 



(.'ciitial American Vampire Bat 



Diphylla centralis Thomas, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 7, Vol. II, p. 378, 

 April, 1903. 'typo from Boquete, Chiriqui, Panama. 



The Central American vampire bat, whose general characters are 

 those of the genus, is definitely known only from the type which was 

 collected at Boquete, on the southern slope of the Volcan de Chiriqui, 

 by H. J. Watson. 



It is described as " externally quite similar to D. ecaudata, except 

 that the legs are rather less heavily haired, and there is not so much 

 white on the digits and tips of the wings. Colour of back and belly, 

 where the hairs are dark to their bases, near ' seal brown ' ; anteriorly 

 on the shoulders and neck the colour is markedly lighter, owing to 

 the broad whitish bases to the hairs, D. ecaudata is rather darker 

 throughout, with less white on the bases of the shoulder hairs. 



" Skull rather rounder and less sharply arched above than in 

 D. ecaudata; interorbital region narrower. Zygomata more widely 

 and evenly spread. Bullae larger and higher." 



It is represented as differing from D. ecaudata, however, mainly 

 in dental characters, the last three lower cheek teeth being subequal 



1 Collection Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist. 

 * Collection Mus. Comp. Zool. 



