62 



ORDERS OF MAMMALS— BATS 



THE FAMILY OF LEAF-NOSED BATS. 



Phyllostomatidae. 



The members of this Family bear on their 

 noses thin leaves of naked skin that stand erect 

 behind, or partly around, the nostrils. These 

 wonderful nose-leaves are pear-shaped, heart- 

 shaped, wedge-like, and of many other forms. 

 The ears are large, or very large ; the wing mem- 



CALIFORNIA LEAF-NOSED BAT. 

 (After Harrison Allen.) 



brane reaches down to the foot ; the tail is long, 

 and sometimes extends a short distance beyond 

 the interfemoral membrane. On the whole, the 

 bats of this Family form an astonishing exhibit 

 of facial oddities. All save a few species are 

 confined to South America. 



The California Leaf-Nosed Bat 1 may be 

 taken as a very modest example, because it bears 

 what is really a very simple form of nose-leaf. 

 It is found in southern California and Mexico, 

 and its pelage is very light-colored. 



The most remarkable of all bat faces is that 

 of a small, brown-colored West Indian species 

 known as Blainville's Bat. 2 As a sport of Nat- 

 ure it stands fairly unrivalled, and shows what 

 is possible in the fashioning of skin into orna- 

 mental forms. The ears are large and of most 

 fantastic form, the chin is bedecked with a high- 

 ly convoluted bib of skin, and the eyes and nos- 

 trils are almost lost amid the leaves and tuber- 

 cles which cover the muzzle. As a whole, the 

 appearance of the face of this bat suggests a high- 

 ly complicated flower, like a double pansy. The 

 skull is only five-eighths of an inch in length. 



1 O-lop'ter-us cal-i-for'ni-cus. 



2 Mor'moops blain' vill-ii. 



This species is quite uncommon, and practically 

 nothing is known of its habits. 



In fashioning the noses and ears of bats, Nat- 

 ure has done some very odd and curious work. 

 The flowers of orchids are not more oddly fash- 

 ioned than the heads and faces of some species. 



Let it not be supposed, however, that these 

 queer facial appendages and long ears of the 

 leaf-nosed bats are purely ornamental. Dr. 

 George E. Dobson, one of the greatest authori- 

 ties on bats, has pointed out two very curious 

 facts. (I) The bats with small ears and no nose- 

 leaves fly most in the early twilight; and many, 

 such as the fruit-bats, fly in the daytime. (2) 

 The long-eared and leaf-nosed bats prefer dark- 

 ness, and seek their food only at night. 



Let us see if we can find a reason for this. 

 A cruel investigator of the eighteenth century, 

 named Spallanzani, once destroyed the eye- 

 sight of several bats, then suspended many silken 

 threads from the ceiling of a room, and liberated 

 the creatures. Although totally blind, the bats 

 flew to and fro between the threads, without 

 once striking them, and were equally successful 

 in avoiding branches of trees that were intro- 

 duced. It now seems certain that some bats 

 possess a sixth sense, of which at present we know 

 nothing, by which they are able to fly in total 

 darkness, and avoid even the smallest obstruc- 

 tions. 



It seems quite probable that the long ears and 

 nose-leaves of the night-going bats aid their 

 owners in guiding their flight; but the precise 

 manner in which it is done remains to be dis- 

 covered. 



The True Vam- 

 pire Bats. — By 

 this name we seek 

 to distinguish the 

 bats which actual- 

 ly suck the blood 

 of living creatures, 

 from the so-called 

 vampires which 

 live on fruit. In 

 South America 

 there are five spe- 

 cies of true vam- 

 pires, three of 

 which are known 

 as the javelin 



BLAINVILLE S FLOWER-NOSED 

 BAT. 



(After Peters.) 



