62 



OKDERS OF MAMMALS— BATS 



THE FAMILY OF LEAF-NOSED BATS. 



Phylloslomatidae. 



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- 



CALirORNIA 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^ 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 CaUfornia and Mexico, 

 and its pelage is very light-colored. 



The most remarkable of all h>at faces is that 

 of a small, brown-colored West Indian species 

 known as Blainville's Bat.^ 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 comphcated flower, like a double pansy. The 

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

 ' O-top'ter-us cal-i-jor'ni-cus. 

 ' Mor'moops hlain'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. (1) 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 cciUng 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 ei|ually 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 c|uite 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 Uving 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 



BL.^INVILI.E S FLOWER-NOSED 



BAT. 



(After Peters.) 



