THE JAVELIN-BATS. 



( The Nasal Appendage snort, furrowed towards the point. 

 Inhabits South America. Also Hayti. 



The Spectacled Javelin-Bat was designated the Grand fer-de-lance by 

 Buffon, and yet, according to M. Geoffroy, it is of smaller dimensions 

 than the Common one bearing the name. Its extreme length from the tip 

 of the nose to the extreme part of the interfemoral membrane is five 

 inches ; its extreme breadth eighteen inches. The muzzle is short and 

 broad ; the lower incisors are regularly placed between the canines, which 

 are far apart, and the two internal ones are bilobed ; the external ears are 

 slightly emargined at their external border, and the opercula are deeply 

 denticulated ; an irregular row of warts encircles the lips, and there are 

 considerable excrescences on the articulations of the third and fourth 

 toes ; the interfemoral membrane forms an entering angle with the hind- 

 feet, and the inferior support it receives is inconsiderable on account of the 

 diminutive size of the bony spurs. The nasal leaf is formed of a strong 

 central part, with membranes at its sides, which do not extend quite 

 to the point; it is sloped, oval-shaped at its lower extremity, and termi- 

 nated in front by the common horse-shoe membrane. The fur is of a 

 blackish-brown colour on the back, and of a light brown on the abdomen ; a 

 white line rises at the nose, and extends along the side of the head as far 

 as the ear. 



It has been clearly ascertained that this Phyllostome (and probably its 

 congeners) is not only insectivorous, but is frequently a great annoyance 

 to the agriculturist, from the immense quantities of ripe fruits it devours. 

 Thus, in M. Geoffroy's 14th Lecon, (Cours de l'Hist. Natur.,) we have 

 the following interesting particulars extracted from a letter of Dr Alex. 

 Ricord, an able Naturalist, who has long resided in Hayti. " After leav- 

 ing Hayti I preserved these animals alive, and fed them on Common Sa- 

 potas, (Achras Sapota,) the fruit of a Mammee tree, which they prefer to 

 all others. Every evening, two hours after sunset, they leave the vir- 

 gin forests which they frequent during the day, and, in flocks of thou- 

 sands, precipitate themselves upon the Naseberry trees. I have often 

 observed them bite indiscriminately every one of the fruits on the trees, 

 to discover those which are ripe, for by the touch alone they cannot do 

 this ; and hence great mischief follows, for the fruit has but a slender hold of 

 the tree, and falls on the slightest injury. Often have I noticed these 

 animals suspending themselves on the wing, without changing their posi- 

 tion, and devouring the ripe fruit with the greatest avidity. They do not 

 quarrel much, but rather maintain a mutual good understanding. The noise 

 which they in this way produce among the branches resembles that made 

 by birds about to rest on ceasing their flight. They utter a feeble cry ; 

 and nothing can scare them away. Shots from a musket do not annoy 

 them. I have watched these Bats throughout the whole night, and have 

 seen them depart an hour before the break of day, betaking themselves to- 

 wards the forests, where they reside, at the foot of the mountains, in 

 places not far distant from human habitations." 



Var. Superctllatum Reddish S. J. Bat. 



Syn. Phyllostoma Superciliatum Fr. Max. Beitr. II. 200. 



Chauve-souris obscure et rayee ou Ch. Premiere D'Azur. Quadr. 



Parag. II. 269. 



We are inclined to consider the Ph. Superciliatum of Prince Maximi- 

 lian to be merely a variety of the Spectacled Javelin-Bat already described ; 

 its ears are short, pointed, and white ; the hair is dark brown ; there is a 

 white streak from the nasal appendage to each ear. It was found on the 

 sea coast to the north of Cabo Frio. 



2. PHYLLOSTOMA LINEATUM STRIPED JAVELIN-BAT. 



Syn. Chauve-souris brune et rayee Azar. Parag. II. p. 271. 



Phyllostoma lineatum Geoff. Ann. Mus. XV. 186. 



Icon. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair brown above, lighter beneath ; four white stripes on the 

 face, and one on the back. 



The Nasal Appendage entire. 

 Inhabits Paraguay and Brazil. 



This Striped Phyllostome, and the two which succeed, are founded 

 upon the descriptions of the indefatigable D'Azara, and, though defective 

 in the synonomy, and incorrect, in so far as he has identified them with 

 previously described species, yet they so conspicuously bear the traces of 

 his accurate hand, that it is impossible for a moment to doubt their spe- 

 cific and distinct existence. The Lineatum forms the second on his list, 

 and he remarks that he had possessed many of them, and that they 

 strongly resembled each other. Their length very nearly reached three 

 inches, their extreme breadth fourteen. The colour of the fur is brown, 

 lighter beneath. A white stripe commences at the coccyx, and tuns in a 



VOL. II. 



straight line to the occiput : besides this great band, two others, which, 

 like it, are white, extend from the nostril to the ear, at the elevated part 

 of the hind-head, and two others, also white, from the angle of the mouth 

 to the lower part of the ear. The ear is very narrow, and shovel-shapec!, 

 generally flat, but reflected on its edges. At about a line from the extremity 

 of the muzzle, which is not acute, the horse-shoe membrane commences, 

 from the centre of which springs the nasal one, forming an angle with the 

 forehead of seventy degrees, extending four lines, and terminating in a 

 point. D'Azara says nothing of its habits. 



3. PHYLLOSTOMA ROTUNDUM.— ROUND-LEAFED JAVELIN- 

 BAT. 



Syn. Chauve-souris troisieme ou Ch. brun Azar. Parag. II. p. 277. 



Phyllostoma Rotundum. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XV. 181. 

 Icon. 



specific characters. 



The Hair reddish-brown. 



The Nasal Appendage entire, rounded at the extremity. 



Inhabits Paraguay. 



This Javelin- Bat was supposed to be the true Vampyre by the Spanish 

 Naturalist D'Azara, — a mistake arising partly from the imperfect descrip- 

 tions of these South American species, current in his day, and partly 

 from his not being aware that most of them had never been described ; 

 hence he erroneously identifies them with their congeners. The length 

 of this Bat is three inches and a half; its extreme breadth nearly seven- 

 teen. Its colour is brown, somewhat lighter underneath. The alar 

 membrane arises from the tibia four lines from its articulation. The ear 

 is acute, straight, eight lines high, and has a projecting operculum. The 

 muzzle is rather acute than flat, and the nasal leaf, flatter than in most 

 others, does not terminate in a point, but is rounded. The lower jaw is 

 somewhat the largest, and the whole physiognomy may perhaps be con- 

 sidered by some as very ugly. In this description the colour, the rounded 

 leaf, and the dimensions reaching only one half, distinguish this Bat from 

 the true Vampyre. It is very common in Paraguay, where D'Azara says 

 it differs from all the others, in running as swift as a Rat when on the 

 ground, and in delighting in sucking the blood of men and animals. 



4. PHYLLOSTOMA LILIUM.— FLEUR-DE-LIS JAVELIN-BAT. 



Syn. Chauve-souris brun-uougeatre ou Ch. quatrieme. — D'Azar. Quadr. 

 Parag. II. p. 277. 

 Phyllostoma Lilium. — Geoff. Ann. Mus. XV. 186. 

 Icon. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair reddish-brown above, lighter beneath. 

 The Nasal Appendage entire, length equal to its breadth, narrow at 

 the base. The Jaws elongated. 

 Inhabits Paraguay. 



D'Azara imagined that the animal described by him as his fourth species, 

 under the appellation of the Brun-Rougealre, was identical with Buffbn's 

 Fer-de-lance ; but this is manifestly a mistake. The one in hand is three 

 inches and a half long, and thirteen inches across the wings, and is desti- 

 tute of a tail, whilst the hastatum has a tail, and measures seven inches 

 by nineteen. Its ear is straight and acute; its eye, though small, is, ac- 

 cording to Azara, somewhat larger than in his other Bats, and is placed 

 equidistant between the ear and tip of the muzzle, which is very obtuse, 

 and somewhat cleft. M. Geoffroy assigned it its specific name, from the 

 resemblance of the leaf to that of the middle petal of the fleur-de-lis of 

 heraldry; it is pointed at its tip, and as straight as that of the hastatum at 

 its extremity, but it bulges out more, being as broad as it is long. D'Azara 

 compares its form to that of a military spear. 



5. PHYLLOSTOMA BRACHYOTUM.— BROAD-EARED JAVELIN- 



BAT. 



Syn. Phyllostoma brachyotum. — Pr. Max. Beitr. II. 196. 



Carollia Braziliensis. — Gray, in Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. 488. 

 Icon. Pr. Max. Abbild. 



specific characters. 



The Hair dark greyish-brown above ; the points of the hairs sooty ; 

 lighter beneath. 



The Ears short and broad. The Operculum short and rounded. 

 The Nasal Appendage narrow and pointed. 



Inhabits Brazil. 



This Phyllostome might with as much propriety be designated broad- 

 bodied as broad-eared. It is singularly broad across the shoulders, and 

 short in the length of the body ; head included, it is somewhat heart- 



