DESMODONXES. 545 



ture the presence of secondary sexual characters scarcely less 

 extraordinary. In the specimen preserved in the collection of the 

 Smithsonian Institute the central gular band is (according to Dr. 

 AHen) clothed with soft fur, and so large as to cover the face like 

 a mask when the head is depressed. It is probable that, as in 

 Cheiromeles torqiuUus, this is the receptacle of the odoriferous sec- 

 tions of glands placed in the centre of the inferior surface of the 

 neck. 



a. $ ad., al. (type). Sir E. Belcher [C.]. 



Group 4. DESMODONTES. 



Muzzle short and conical ; nose-leaf distinct, the nostrils opening 

 on the surface of the horizontal leaf ; interfemoral membrane very 

 short ; taU none. 



j-i .-,• T 2 1—1 2—2 1—1 



JJtmition,. inc. j, c. j^, pm. ^;^, m. j^j or ^. 



Upper incisors very large, canine-like, trenchant, occupying the 

 whole space between the canines ; premolars very narrow, with 

 sharp-edged longitudinal crowns ; molars rudimentary or none. 



CEsophagus very narrow ; the cardiac extremity of the stomach 

 greatly elongated, forming a long narrow caecum*. 



Range. The Neotropical Region (except the Antillean Subregion). 



The Bats belonging to this group are truly sanguivorous in their 

 habits t, and the nature of their food sufficiently accounts for the 

 remarkable and great divergence in the character of the dentition, 

 and in the form of the alimentary canal, from those of all other 

 species of the Order which they exhibit. So great is the divergence 

 in these respects, that Prof. Huxley was led to form a distinct sub- 

 order (HcBmatophilina) for their reception, at the same time, how- 

 ever, recognising the importance of Prof. Peters's reasons for classing 

 them with the Phylhstomidce, the latter having pointed out that 

 " the peculiarities of the Desmodontes are foreshadowed by the Steno- 

 dermata, the true molar teeth of which are distinguished by having 

 an external cutting or notched margin, and usually acute cusps on 

 the middle of the masticating surface ; while they never have the 

 V-shaped cusps of their allies, and are said to live exclusively on 

 fruits. In several of these genera the total number of molar and 

 premolar teeth does not exceed four on each side, above and below — 

 a character which is also to be regarded as an approximation towards 

 the extreme reduction obsers'ed in Desmodus"X- 



Not only do I quite agree with Prof. Peters in placing these 

 genera in the family Phylhstomidce, but I have, in my classification 

 of the genera of Chiroptera, even considered them as forming only 

 a group of the subfamily Phyllostominm, so closely, in my opinion, 

 do they approach the Stenodermata. Remembering the great varia- 



* See description of alimentary canal of Desmodus rufus at p. 548. 

 t See notes on the habits of Desmodus rufus, p, 549. 

 + P. Z. S. 1865, p. 389. 



2 Jf 



