338 



often seen various species of Vespertilionidce do the like against the 

 walls and furniture of a room, but have never seen the Horse-shoe 

 Bat do so. 



Now, although speculation in zoological science is scarcely admis- 

 sible, yet I am tempted to suggest, from the general similarity of 

 the organs of flight in the genera Furipterus, Natalus, Hyonycteris, 

 and Kerivoula with those of Rhinolojyhus, that they may have pre- 

 cisely the same function to perform ; and I should entertain but 

 little doubt of this, were not the latter provided with very singular 

 cutaneous expansions, as nose-leaves and facial crests. These have 

 by some observers been considered as organs of touch, performing in 

 fact the office of eyes. But this latter suggestion is at best a mere 

 suggestion, since we find amongst the Rhinolophidce some species 

 which, while they possess all the other peculiarities of Rhinolophus, 

 are destitute of what may properly be called a nose-leaf, having in 

 its stead grooves and hollows not likely to be highly sensitive organs 

 of touch. This is the case with Rh. aurantius of Australia, and 

 with Nycteris, which is simply a modified Rhinolophus. 



Without further pursuing these suggestions, I may state my belief 

 that it is in the ivhole expansion of the cutaneous system that the 

 singular sense with which these animals are endowed exists, and 

 that this, if properly investigated, will afford one of the most certain 

 indices to the natural classification of the Vespertilionidce. 



Before concluding, I wish to add a suggestion relative to the pro- 

 bable habits of Hyonycteris, derived from the examination of spe- 

 cimens. As the creature is destitute of claws to the feet, which 

 could be used as instruments of support, and has suctorial disks in- 

 stead, it appears probable that it would be capable of traversing such 

 surfaces only as were sufficiently even for the action of the disks, and 

 that suitable surfaces might be furnished by the fruit or leaves of 

 many of the trees of tropical America, from which the pig-like snout 

 of the animal would be well adapted for taking minute insects, in a 

 state of rest. 



