ORDER CARNASSIL . 119 



traction of this fleshy mass, draws along with it the inter, 

 maxillary bone. 



The index finger has no phalanx ; the others have two, or 

 three, if we reckon the small bone of the metacarpus. The 

 tail is long and almost entirely comprehended in the inter- 

 femoral membrane. 



One of the most remarkable species is the Purse Rhinolo- 

 phus, (Rhinoliphus Speoros.) A most curious character is a 

 sort of purse on the back of the leaf, situated on the fore- 

 head, the internal sides of which are naked, and its entrance 

 is distinguished by a sort of cushion, and opens by a 

 sphincter. It is tolerably spacious, and we have no reason 

 to believe that it leads any where. It is in general pretty 

 exactly closed, and when the eyelids are down, it looks like 

 the eye of a cyclops. This cavity has been found entirely 

 empty, and it is not easy to conjecture its use. This bat is 

 a native of Timor. 



The Phyllostomata do not belong to the same countries as 

 the Rhinolphi, but, on the contrary, are exclusively confined 

 to the warm regions of the New World. They differ from 

 the Rhinolphi in all the preceding characters. We shall 

 first notice their organs of sense, beginning with that of 

 touch. Their wings have proportionally greater length, and 

 owe it in part to an additional phalanx on the middle finger. 

 This is the unguical phalanx, but instead of being terminated 

 by a nail, it is terminated by a cartilage, which the tension 

 of the membrane draws along, and causes to bend on the 

 interior side. Similar cartilages are seen on the fourth and 

 fifth fingers. The membrane which unites all the parts of 

 the wing extends to the posterior extremities, sideways, and 

 without passing the tarsus. The feet are, therefore, less 

 engaged in it than among the roussettes and other bats. 



The interfemoral membrane furnishes no generic cha- 

 racter. It differs in the different species ; so does the tail, 

 which is found in some and wanting in others. 



