438 



EMDALLOKITRID^. 



from mombrane 0"-8, head 0"-8, ear 0"-7, tragus 0"-15x0"'12, 

 forearm l"-7, thumb 0"-3 ; third finger — metacarp. l"-65, 1st ph. 

 0"-65, 2ud ph. 0"-8; fourth finger— metacarp. 0"-65, 1st ph. 0"-55, 

 2nd ph. 0"-45; fifth finger— metacarp. 0"-8, 1st ph. 0"-5, 2nd ph. 

 0"-25 ; tibia 0"-5, foot 0"-33. 



Hah. The warmer regions of North and South America and their 

 islands, extending from California to Chili ; apparently everj'where 

 distributed throughout the tropical and subtropical parts of America, 

 where it is probably the most common species of the genus, as it 

 has the widest range. 



Type in the collection of the Paris Museum. 



The habits of this species are probably generally similar to those 

 of the other species of the genus ; and they have been carefully 

 observed by the late Mr. W. Osburn, to whom and to Mr. P. H. 

 Gosse we owe almost aU our knowledge of the habits of the 

 American Bats. 1 give here a short quotation from Mr. Osbum's 

 notes, pubUshed in P. Z. S. 1865. Writing from Eowington Park, 

 Vcre, Jamaica, he remarks ; — " Vast numbers of these little Bats 

 inhabit the shingled roof of this house. It is an unusually favour- 

 able place for observing them. The rooms are ceiled. A store- 

 room without ceiling communicates directly with the roof, whence a 

 view can be obtained of a large part over the ceding of the other 

 rooms. ... I often observed them during the day exactly as Gold- 

 smith's line expresses, ' Lazy bats in drowsy clusters cling ;' for, 

 what seems surprising, notwithstanding the extreme heat of the 

 situation — shingles exposed to the sun (and it was disagreeably hot 

 and confined where I stood, 12 or 15 feet below) — the Bats clung in 

 complete clusters. I counted fourteen little heads in a mass about 

 the size of a turnip. But they were not aU asleep ; now and then a 

 wing is stretched with drowsy enjoyment; and the luxury King 

 James thought too great for subjects, and ought to be reserved for 

 kings, is largely indulged in by Bats. First one and then another 

 wakes up, and, withdrawing one leg and leaving himself suspended 

 by the other alone, adroitly uses the foot at liberty as a comb, with 

 a rapid effective movement dressing the fur of the underpart and 

 head — an action far from ungraceful. The foot is then cleaned 

 quickly with the teeth or tongue, and restored to its first use. 

 Then the other leg does duty. Perhaps the hairs with which the 

 foot is set may aid to this end. I often have seen them do this in 

 confinement ; and probably the numerous Bat-flies with which they 

 are infested may be the cause of extra dressing. . . . Their evening 

 exit during March was about half-past six o'clock. About eight 

 to nine o'clock they returned. . . . They remain very active all 

 night, scampering and shuffling about their ample quarters." 



a-d. (S & 2 ad., al. City of Mexico. Purchased. 



e. f. ad. sks. Oaxaca, Mexico, 



ff. ad. sk. Mexico. Purchased. 



A, t. ad. sks. Mexico. Mr. Salle [C.]. 



,/-/. (S & 2 *id., al. Tehuantrpec. rnvchased. 



m, n. (J ad., al, Puenas, Giialeiiiela, O. Salvin, Esq. [P.], 



