DESMODUS. 



39 



reddish-white; behind ears somewhat rufous; beneath tawny-white, 

 membranes blackish-brown. Incisors of upper jaw in pairs, which are se- 

 parated from each other by a distinct open space immediately in the front 

 of the jaw. Length from nose to root of tail two inches; ears rather 

 longer and broader than in the last species, tragus short, and its apex se- 

 micircular ; termination of tail deeply forked, with the last vertebra but 

 one the longest. The arrangement of the incisors of the upper jaw, the 

 marked difference in respect to the last joint but one of the tail, added to 

 the depth of the fork, and the greater proportion of transverse veins, in 

 the portion of the interfemoral membrane connected with the joint 

 named, tend, with other characters, to establish this as a distinct species 

 from the last. 



GENUS XVII. DESMODUS— CURVED-TOOTH BATS. 



Syn. Desmodus. — Pr. Max. Beitr. et Abbild. 



EnOSTOMA D'Orb. Voy. 



generic characters. 



The Dental Formoea 2 ||±§±§J£=4= 2 



The Head small. The Muzzle obtuse. 



The Ears with opercula. The Nose with complicated membranes. 

 The Thumbs very long and strong. 



The Interfemoral Membrane narrow, lining the interior of the 

 thighs. The Tail wanting. 



Inhabit South America. 



This genus, introduced by Prince Maximilian de Neuwied, seems una- 

 nimously to have been adopted by all the Zoologists who have subse- 

 quently laboured in this department of Natural History, among whom we 

 may mention MM. Fischer and De Blainville, and Messrs Gray and 

 Waterhouse. It seems well characterized by its dental formula, although 

 this requires perhaps some further confirmation. Both the two upper 

 and the four lower incisors appear to be peculiar ; especially the former, 

 which are very large, singularly conical, curved, compressed, with a very 

 broad base, and acuminated ; the latter, again, are somewhat flattened 

 down, and have their edges deeply bifid, the lobes being cylindrical, and 

 the apices roundish. The canines are large and sharp. Prince Maxi- 

 milian does not seem to have ascertained the number of the molars in the 

 upper jaw, though they are clearly given in D'Orbigny's plate : the num- 

 ber of the lower correspond accurately in the Prince's and the French 

 traveller's drawings : the two upper are close to the great canine and to 

 each other, the posterior being most indented ; of the three lower the 

 front one is somewhat removed from the canine, leaving room for the 

 descent of the upper one, the second as well as the first have but one 

 cusp, and are closely approximated ; the third is bi-cuspid. The head, 

 moreover, is very short, and not less the jaws, the lower being a trifle the 

 longer ; the nose-leaf is usually supplied with minute bristles ; the ante- 

 rior extremity is peculiarly robust ; the alar membranes copious, the in- 

 terfemoral very spare, b j ing merely marginal to the thigh bones ; there 

 being no tarsal spur, and no tail. 



1. DESMODUS RUFUS. 1 — RED CURVED-TOOTH BAT. 



Syn. Der Rothbraune Bundelzahn Pr. Max. Beitr. II. 233. 



Icon. Pr. Max. Abbild. — (Desmodus rufus.) 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair red, tinged with yellow. 



The Ears short and broad ; round at the points. 



Inhabits Brazil. 



" This interesting Bat," says the Prince of Neuwied, " was found at 

 Fazenda of Muribeca, upon the river Itabapuna, between the 21° and 

 22° S. lat. ; where, however, it appears exceedingly rare, as I was able 

 to procure only a single individual." Its arm and alar membrane, and 

 the fingers also, are remarkably strong ; and the humerus, the lower ex- 

 tremities down to the foot, the great toe, and the membranes where they 

 rise from the body, are covered with long and soft hair, as are also the 

 face and nose-leaf, where, however, it is much finer, and not so abun- 

 dant. Whilst the wings are very long, the interfemoral membrane is ex- 

 ceedingly curtailed, rising from nearly the top of the tibia. The cranium 

 is very short, so that the lower jaw, though it projects somewhat beyond 

 the upper, can scarcely accommodate the four molar teeth with which it 

 is furnished. The ears are of medium size, and rather oblong than round ; 

 the operculum is narrow, pointed, and somewhat falciform ; the nostrils 

 obliquely approximate towards each other, and the nose-leaf, which is by 

 no means complicated or copious, is of a circular shape. This Bat is 

 destitute both of the tail and the tarsal spur. The base of each hair is 

 a faint yellow, towards the tip it acquires a reddish or cinnamon tint, so 



that, throughout the whole body, the colour generally is ferruginous ; 

 paler below than above; all the membranes are brownish-black. The 

 total length of this species is nearly four inches ; its extreme breadth about 

 fifteen. It is believed to frequent old buildings ; but of its habits little 

 or nothing is known. 



2. DESMODUS CINEREUS GREY CURVED-TOOTH BAT. 



Syn. et Icon. Edostoma cinerea. — D'Orb. Voy. 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



The Hair grey, tinged with brown. 

 The Ears long and pointed. 

 Inhabits 



This Grey Edostome of M. D'Orbigny seems very properly placed in 

 Prince Maximilian's Genus Desmodus by M. de Blainville ;* but, as the 

 illustrious traveller's description has not yet been published, we can de- 

 rive our information, regarding this species only from the beautiful repre- 

 sentation which has appeared. It has a strong general resemblance to 

 the former species in the strength of the anterior extremity, the extent of 

 the alar membranes, which are also clad at their attachment to the body, 

 and the curtailed interfemoral membrane, being a mere fringe which rises 

 from about the lower third of the tibia ; it is also destitute of spur and 

 tail. The ear of this species is rather long and pointed ; the operculum 

 is also pointed ; the nose-leaf, whilst having a general resemblance to that 

 of the last species, is not so circular, the horse-shoe extending along the 

 whole of the upper lip, and being scarcely as high as it is broad ; it is ir- 

 regularly triangular, and double the size of the one perforated by the nostrils, 

 anterior, and including within the limits of the other ; the lower lip seems 

 to be deeply cleft. The fur, which is abundant, is soft and wavey. The 

 colour generally is grey, being dark on the head, and light on the face, 

 chest, and abdomen. The claws are yellowish, the membranes dark- 

 ish grey. 



3. DESMODUS D'ORBIGNYII CHILIAN CURVED-TOOTH BAT. 



Syn. et Icon. Desmodus D'Orbignvi. — Waterh. in Zool. Beagl. p. ]. pi. 1. 



specific characters. 



The Hair deep brown above, ashy white beneath. 

 The Ears short, and broad ; round at the points. 

 Inhabits Coquimbo, Chile. 



Since the publication of M. D'Orbigny's elegant plate, a third species 

 has been introduced into this genus, procured by Mr Darwin, and de- 

 scribed by Mr Waterhouse in the " Zoology of the Beagle." 



" The fur of this Bat," says Mr Waterhouse, " is glossy, and has a silk- 

 like appearance ; that on the top of the head, sides of the face, and the 

 whole of the upper parts of the body, is of a deep brown colour; all the hairs 

 on these parts, however, are white at the base. The flanks, interfemoral 

 membrane, and arms, are also covered on their upper side with brown 

 hairs. On the lower part of the sides, and the whole of the under parts 

 of the body, the hairs are of an ashy-white colour. The membrane of 

 the wing is brownish. The ears are of moderate size, and somewhat 

 pointed; externally they are covered with minute brown hairs, internally 

 with white; the tragus is also covered with white hairs; it is of a narrow 

 form, pointed at the tip, and has a small acute process in the middle of the 

 outer margin. The nose-leaf is pierced by the nostrils, which diverge pos- 

 teriorly, and is so deeply cleft on its hinder margin, that it may be com-, 

 pared to two small leaflets joined side by side near their bases. These 

 leaflets lie horizontally on the nose, to which they are attached throughout, 

 a slight ridge only indicating their margin. Behind the leaf there is a consi- 

 derable naked space, in which two small hollows are observable, situate 

 one on each side, and close to the nose-leaf; and, at a short distance be- 

 hind the nose-leaf, this naked membrane is slightly elevated, and forms a 

 transverse fleshy tubercle. The extreme length is 3" 3 '"; the extreme 

 breadth 12" 8'"; of the antibrachium 2 " 2"'; of the nose-leaf 2£"'." 



This Bat is a blood-sucker, and hence has been designated a Vampire 

 by Mr Darwin. It is on this species he has the following note : " The 

 Vampire Bat is often the cause of much trouble by biting the horses in 

 their withers. The injury is generally not so much owing to the loss of 

 blood as to the inflammation which the pressure of the saddle produces. 

 The whole circumstance has lately been doubted in England ; I was there- 

 fore fortunate in being present when one was actually caught on the 

 horse's back. We were bivouacking late one evening near Coquimbo, 

 in Chile, when my servant, noticing that one of the horses was very res- 

 tive, went to see what was the matter, and fancying he could distinguish 

 something, suddenly put his hand on the beast's withers, and secured 



1 Mr Gray (Mag. Zool. and Bot. II. p. 89) considers Stenodcrma rufum, Geoff, to be identical with Desmodus Rufus, Pr. Max. 

 See Annales des Sciences MaturelU'S, 2d Serie, T. ix, 361. 



