CATALOGUE 



OF 



CHIROPTERA. 



CHIROPTERA. 



Volant mammals, having their fore limbs specially 

 modified for flight. The forearm consists of a rudi- 

 mentary ulna, a long curved radius, and a carpus of 

 six bones supporting a thumb and four greatly 

 elongated fingers, between which, the sides of the 

 body, and the hinder extremities, a thin expansion of 

 the integument (the wing -membrane) is spread out. 

 The knee is directed backwards, owing to the rotation 

 of the hind limb outwards by the wing-membrane ; 

 a peculiar elongated cartilaginous process (the calca- 

 neum), rarely rudimentary or absent, arising from the 

 inner side of the ankle-joint, is directed inwards, and 

 supports part of the posterior margin of an accessory 

 membrane of flight, extendingfrom the tail or posterior 

 extremity of the body to the hinder limbs (the inter- 

 femoral memhrane). The mammary glands are thoracic 

 and generally postaxillary ; the uterus simple or two- 



