20 



ORDER CHIROPTERA.— GENUS DYSOPES. 



thick and fleshy ; they approach near at their insertion on the brow, and 

 are naked, except in a sharp sinus towards the hinder part, of the head; 

 on their edge, near the tip, are five or six small warts. The eyes are in 

 two small slits, above the angles of the mouth, and are almost covered 

 by the ears. The neck is very short, and so covered with hair as to be 

 scarcely observable ; the shoulders are high and round, with a deep cavity 

 between them ; the body at the shoulders is much wider than at the 

 haunches; the buttocks are bare. The tail is naked, round, and blunt, 

 and is half inclosed in the interfemoral membrane. A broad hairy list 

 surrounds the whole body, and covers the bottom of the membrane. 

 This animal inhabits caverns and old buildings. 



15. DYSOPES TORQUATUS.— COLLARED BULL-DOG BAT. 



Syn. Cheiromeles torquatus. — Horsf. Jav. 



Dysopes cheiropus, (Molosse p&limaiie.) — Temm. Mon. I. 218. 

 Icon. Horsf. Jav Copied in Temm. Mon. I. pi. 17 PI. 25, fig. 15, (cra- 

 nium and teeth.) 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair wanting on the back, somewhat long on the neck, forming 

 cellar. 



The Thumbs of the feet entirely free and opposable. 

 Inhabits Siam. 



This very remarkable Bat was first obtained either at Penang or Sin- 

 gapore, by the late Dr George Finlayson, the meritorious Naturalist, who 

 accompanied Mr John Crawfurd in his mission to Siam, Cochin-China, 

 and the Indian Archipelago. On Dr F.'s decease, it was deposited, with 

 he rest of his collection, in the Museum of the Honourable Ea=t India 

 Company, and was minutely described and depicted by Dr Horsfield in 

 his Zoological Researches. It was also carefully examined by M. Tem- 

 minck during his visits to London. 



It is the largest known species of the genus. The great toe, completely 

 separated from the others, is quite free and opposable, like the thumb 

 in the Quadrumana, and must greatly assist its powers of prehension. 

 The ears, not united in front, are long and pointed, having a lobe or 

 operculum at the inferior part, and a second or rudimentary one proceed- 

 ing from the interior. Its large tail is half enveloped in a very short inter- 

 femoral membrane. The alar membranes proceed from the upper part 

 of the back, very near the mesial line, but adhere to the sides in their 

 progress downwards. This animal may be said to have no fur except 

 along the sides, and on the front of the neck, where the hairs are coarse, 

 very short, and far apart ; a few slender hairs cover the interfemoral 

 membrane and the thighs ; whilst a kind of down, extremely short, and 

 only recognizable by the touch, or the magnifying glass, covers the abdo- 

 men ; the back is completely naked, and the muzzle is very sparingly pro- 

 vided with minute hairs ; a sort of ruff, composed of brown hair, sur- 

 rounds the neck. The great toe is not only free, but i? supplied with a 

 very large nail, broad and obtuse, and hid uuder a great tuft of hair. The 

 tail is quite wrinkled in that part of it which is free. The ears are wide 

 apart, long, and pointed. 



To this condensed summary of characters by the accurate Temminck 

 we shall add some further details, supplied by Dr Horsfield. The en- 

 tire length, he remarks, of the specimen now before me is five and a half 

 inches ; its extreme breadth two feet. The great extent of the internal 

 ear is one of the peculiarities of the animal ; the entrance to the cavity 

 of the tympanum is likewise of extraordinary size ; the bones of the ear, 

 in comparison with those of the human, are of enormous dimensions ; 

 the cochlea, too, is of uncommon extent. The eyes are small, and par- 

 tially concealed ; the eyelids are surrounded by a minute circle of ri<nd 

 hairs, regularly disposed. The pouch or cavity, behind and below the 

 arm-pit, and formed by the connection of the alar membrane with tlie 

 body of the animal, though not peculiar to this species, is well worthy of 

 attention. This cavity is about an inch deep, and nearly two inches 

 long, and is lined by a very delicate membrane. It is bounded anteriorly 

 by the membrane extending from the arm to the pectoral muscle, and 

 posteriorly by the spine and haunches. This organization renders the 

 animal specifically lighter, and assists its flight ; and, by supplying a deep 

 and extensive pouch, it affords to the young, while they continue at the 

 breast, a convenient covering, and a retreat in which they find the secu- 

 rity and warmth they require. The skin throughout is marked with verv 

 minute dots, and, when closely examined, exhibits the appearance of 

 shagreen. The membranes of the wings and back, as well as the head, 

 feet, and tail, are of a sooty black colour, with occasional modifications 

 of tawny ; the nails of a yellowish-brown colour. The brush on the 

 great toe is of a peculiar character. It consists of stiff hairs, directed to 

 one side, and forming a regular series along the outer margin of the thumb. 



At the extremity the hairs are long, and spread like a fan over the nail ; 

 they gradually decrease in length, preserving the same direction ; the 

 separate hairs are rigid, and terminated by a hook ; its use remains to be 

 determined. 



(C.) Bull-Dog Bats of Australia. 



16. DYSOPES AUSTRALIS SOUTHERN BULL-DOG BAT. 



Syn. MoLOssus Australis Gray, in Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 501. 



Icon. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair dark brown, paler beneath, a broad white streak on each 

 side, a narrow white streak beneath the edge of the rump. 



The Ears large, broad, rounded. The Tail nearly one-half free. 

 Inhabits New South Wales. 



A specimen of this Bat, very recently discovered by Major Mac Arthur, 

 is deposited in the Museum of the United Service Club, London. 



DOUBTFUL SPECIES. 



1. Molossus crassicaudatus, (Geoff. Ann. Mus. VI. 156.) — The hair 

 is of a cinnamon brown colour, somewhat lighter beneath ; the tail emar- 

 ginated on each side by a prolongation of the interfemoral membrane. It 

 is the tenth species mentioned by Azara. The hair is very short and soft. 

 The interfemoral membrane envelopes more than half the tail. 



2. M. ater, (Geoff loc. cit. p. 155.) — The fur is black and shining 

 above. Habitat unknown. Specimen in the Paris Museum. 



3. M. longicaudatus, (Geoff, loc. cit.) — Of a fawn grey colour; a band 

 extends from the tip of the snout to the forehead ; the tail nearly as long 

 as the body. M. Geoffioy conceives this was the species described by 

 Daubenton under the name of the Mulot volant, and figured by Buffon ; 

 but this is doubtful. 



4. M. fusciventer, (Geoff, loc. cit.) — The fur brownish-grey above, 

 and ash-coloured beneath, except on the abdomen, which is brown in the 

 middle. This was also described by Daubenton, 



5. M. laticaudaius (Geoff, loc. cit.) — is Azara's eighth species, and 

 inhabits Paraguay. The fur dull brown above, somewhat lighter beneath. 

 The tail emarginated by a continuation of the interfemoral membrane. 

 The upper lip marked by vertical ridges ; the tongue is also wrinkled. 



6. M. ursinus, (Spix, Sim. et Vespert. Bras. p. 59, pi. 35, fig. 4.) — 

 According to Spix, this species is black all over ; the body and snout are 

 very stout ; and the anterior folds of the auricles meet on the forehead. 

 It was found in the province of Para. 



7. Nyctinomjs acetabulosus, (Geoff, in Mem. de l'lnstit. d'Egypte 

 Hist. Nat. II. 130.) — This species was discovered by Commergon, and 

 was found near Port Louis, Isle of France. Its fur is of a blackish-brown 

 colour. The tail, for two- thirds of its extent, is enveloped in the interfe- 

 moral membrane. 



8. D. tricolor, (Spix, p. 61, pi. 36, fig. 9.) — The genus Thyroptera 

 of M. Spix is founded upon the following character : — Pollice maims infra 

 patella subconcava armato. The specimen (a young one) was dark brown 

 above, and quite white beneath, the membranes and feet black. 



9. D. auripendulus, (Shaw, Gen. Zool. I. 137.) — The Slouch-eared 

 Bat, with obtuse nose, and large pendant ears with pointed tips. Tail 

 long, included in a membrane, and terminated with a hook. Colour 

 above, deep chestnut, lighter in the belly ; length three inches, extent of 

 wing fifteen. Native of Guiana. 



10. D. Moops, (F. Cuv. Dents des Mam.) — The specimen upon which 

 this species is founded was sent from India by MM. Diardand Duvaucel. 



11. D. pumilus, (Rupp. 1 Atl., pi. 27, fig. a,) — scarcely three inches in 

 length, is the smallest of those Bats which M. Ruppell has discovered 

 in Northern Africa. It is dark brown above, light grey beneath, the limbs 

 reddish, the membranes dark brown. It seems a miniature representa- 

 tion of D. Cestonii, already described, and is in all probability the young 

 of D. iEgyptiacus. 



imaginary species. 



1 . Dysopes perotis (Pr. Maximilian Abbild.) — is identical with D. 

 rufus. 



2. D. Ruppellii (Temm. Monogr.) — is the adult of a Bat previously 

 described by Professor Paolo Savi of Pisa, under the name of Dinops 

 Cestonii. 



Note Nyctinomus Brasiliensis (Isid. Geoff. Ann. Sc. Nat.) — is the 



same as Dysopes nasutus ; and 



Dysofes Gf.offroyi (Temm. Monogr.) — is but another name for D. 

 ^Egyptiacus. 



_ > Rupp. Atl. — Atla- zu der Reise im Nordlichen Afrika, von Ertuard Ruppell. Frankfurt am Main, 1826. (Saiighthiere bearbitel von Ph. J. Cretzschmar. Med. Dr.) 



