BATS. 349 



North American lower Eocene genus Anaptomorphus (A. semulus 

 and A. homunculus), which comprises animals of about the size of 

 the ground-squirrel (Tamias), and whose dentition approximates 

 that of the higher apes and man, Professor Cope recognises the 

 most simian type of lemur yet discovered, and believes that it 

 "represents the family from which the anthropoid monkeys and 

 men were derived. Its discovery is an important addition to our 

 knowledge of the phylogeny of man." '■^° 



Cheiroptera (^Bats). — Bats are practically of world-wide dis- 

 tribution, being found almost everywhere over the continental 

 tracts where there is a sufficient supply of insect food.. The number 

 of species is very much greater in the region of the tropics than in 

 the temperate zone — probably three times as great — the specific and 

 individual diminution corresponding to a marked elevation of lati- 

 tude being very rapid. Vesperugo noctivagans alone among the 

 American bats appears to reach the fifty-fifth parallel, but in Eu- 

 rasia one or more forms (Vesperugo borealis) penetrate to the 

 Arctic circle. Most of the species inhabiting the region of ele- 

 vated mountain-chains do not seem to ascend to any vei-y great 

 altitude, preferring to remain in the basal zone of from 4,000 to 

 6,000 feet ; a few instances are noted of habitation at nearly twice 

 this height. Vesperugo montanus and Molossus rufus have been 

 observed on the Peruvian Andes (Huasampilla) at an elevation of 

 9,000 feet; Vespertilio muricola on the Himalayas at 8,000 feet; 

 and Vespertilio oxyotus on the slopes of Chimborazo at nearly 

 10,000 feet. Vesperugo maurus is in Europe found chiefly in the 

 region of the higher Alps. 



Bats, differing from all other mammals, are found in most of 

 the. oceanic islands, byt none have so far been observed in either 

 Iceland, St. Helena, the Galapagos, Kerguelen Land, or the islands 

 of the Low Archipelago.'^' Three species inhabit the Bermudas — 

 Vesperugo noctivagans, Atalapha cinerea, and Trachyops cirrhosus 

 (the last a vampyre *) — but only a single one the Azores — Vesperugo 

 Leisleri. It would tlius appear that the members of this order of 

 animals were specially endowed with the power of crossing broad 

 arms of the sea, standing, in this respect, next to the birds. It is 

 more than probable, however, that, in the case of the species in- 



* An individual of Molossus rufus, var. obsourus, is catalogued by Dob- 

 son as coming from Bermuda. 



