THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OP BATS. 187 



1880. EmbaUomn-iihc (part; Furice) Gill, Standard Natural History, V, 

 p. 169. 



1891. Emballonuridce (part; Embattonurirwe, part, Furipterine division) 

 Floweb and Lydekker, Mammals, living and extinct, p. 606. 



1892, VesperWionida (part; Katalini, part) Winqe, J.ordfundne og nu- 

 levende Flagermus (Chiroptera) fra Lagoa Santa, Minas Geraes, Bra- 

 silien, p. 24. 



1899. Natalidai (part) Milled, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist, XII, p. 245, 

 December 23, 1899. 



Geographic distribution. — Warmer parts of South America. 



.Characters. — Wing as in the Natalidse, except that the trochiter is 

 slightly more developed and the greatly reduced thumb is included 

 in the membrane to base of minute, functionless claw. Width of 

 presternum slightly greater than length, the broad keel projecting 

 forward; xiphisternum slender, fused with broad, flat presternum, 

 the two together marked with a low median ridge, which is nowhere 

 sufficiently developed to form a keel. Pelvis and lumbar vertebrae as 

 in the Natalidse. Skull differing from that of the" Natalidse in the 

 extremely rudimentary condition of the palatal branches of the pre- 

 maxillaries, these processes reduced to mere cartilaginous filaments. 

 Antorbital canal short, extending from middle of pm * to middle of 

 m 1 ; its length about equal to that of m 1 ; its posterior orifice normal, 

 not situated in a funnel-shaped depression as in the Natalidse. Teeth 

 as in the Natalidse, except that canines are, so far as known, inva- 

 riably reduced to about the height of the corresponding large 

 premolars (a character occurring in one genus of Natalidse). 



History. — Though originally placed with the typical Vespertilion- 

 ine bats, the members of this group were associated with the Molos- 

 sines as early as 1855, a position which they retained practically 

 without question until their relationship with Natalus was pointed 

 out by Winge in 1892. Though undoubtedly related to the Natali- 

 dse, the group seems worthy of recognition as a family. 



Remarks.— The. Furipteridse are distinguished from the Natalidse 

 by the less modified sternum, of which the anterior segment bears an 

 almost normal keel, while the middle and posterior segments are 

 essentially without keel, and the much reduced, functionless thumb, 

 the latter a very remarkable character and, so far as I am aware, 

 one which is unique among bats. The cartilaginous condition of 

 the palatal branches of the premaxillaries and the reduction in the 

 size of the' canines are features of less importance, the latter being, in 

 fact, almost exactly reproduced in the Nataline genus Nyctiellus. In 

 both of the genera now known the rostrum is relatively much shorter 

 than in the Natalidse and there are only two upper premolars. This 

 condition of the dental formula is approached by Nyctiellus, in 

 which pm 2 is much more reduced than in the other members of its 

 family. As compared with the Natalidse, the more generalized and 



