546 PHtLLOSTOMID^. 



bility in the form of the skull and teeth in this family (such, for 

 instance, as exists between such closely allied genera as Artibeus 

 and Stenoderma, or between genera of connected groups, as Ghcero- 

 nycteris and PhyUostoma), I am unable to consider the peculiar den- 

 tition and form of the alimentary canal, which are specially adapted 

 to the food of the animal, sufficient reason for constituting a distinct 

 subfamily ; while their direct relationship to the Phyllostonimce is so 

 weU shown in aU other respects, in the position of the nostrils and 

 form of the nose-leaf, in the shape of the ear and tragus, in the 

 structure of the wings, and even in the greatly modified dentition. 



Brachyphylla appears to me to be most closely related of all 

 known genera of Phyllostomidce to this group. The nose-leaf is 

 almost quite similar to that of DipJiylla, the divided lower lip is 

 like that of Desmodus, while it agrees with both in the form of the 

 muzzle and of the ear-conch and tragus, and very closely in the 

 relative lengths of the bones of the fingers ; the middle upper in- 

 cisors, if sufficiently increased in size, would be quite similar to 

 those so characteristic of this group ; and even the structure of the 

 alimentary canal, so very peculiar in Desmodus, is foreshadowed in 

 the narrow oesophagus, short pyloric and expanded cardiac extre- 

 mity of the stomach in Brachyphylla. 



Synopsis of the Qenera. 



I. Calcaneum none j Lnterfemoral membrane de- 



veloped in the middle; true molars none, 

 lower incisors small, in pairs, separated by a 

 space 32. Desmodus, p. 546. 



II. Calcaneum very short ; interfemoral membrane 



not developed in the middle; molars j^, 

 rudimentary ; lower incisors very broad, form- 

 ing a row between the canines 33. Diphylla, p. 560. 



32. DESMODUS. 



Desmodus, Wied, Beitr. zur Naturgesch. Brasil. ii. p. 231 (1826) ; 



Wagner, Suppl. Sehreh. Saugeth. i. p. 779 (1844) ; Gervais, HxpM. 



du Comte de Castelnau, Zoologic, p. 31 (1855). 

 Edostoma, UOrbigny, Toy. dans VAmeriq. Merid. iv. p. 11. 



Muzzle short and conical ; nostrils opening by oblique apertures 

 on the surface of a small nose-leaf, which is bounded behind by 

 glandular elevations ; lower lip and chin with a deep V-shaped 

 groove in front ; ears separate ; interfemoral membrane short, deve- 

 loped in the middle, but not extending to the heels ; no calcaneum 

 or tail. 



Dentition. Inc. ■^^, c. [^, pra. |^, m. ^. 



Lower incisors in pairs, separated by a space in front. 



