CARNARIA 



75 



M. Geoffroy also separates from the Bats 



The Oreillards {Plecotus), — ■ 

 Which have the ears longer than the head, and joined above the cranium, as in tlie Megadcrms, 

 Rhinopomos, &c. Their tragus is large and lanceolate, and there is an operculum to their auditory 

 orifice. 



.^K>i^ 



Fig. 18. — Ears orPlf^cotnB auritus. 



The common species (Vesp. auritus, Lin.) la still more 

 abundant in France than any of the Bats [and is equally 

 plentiful in Eng'Iand], inhabiting houses, kitchens, &c. Its 

 ears (fig. 18) are nearly as long as its body [more than double 

 the length of the head; yet, when reiKising (as shown in 

 fig. 19), they are folded so as to be out of sight. Its peculiar 

 shutJling gait, with the head raised, is different from tbat of 

 the Bats with short ears ; and it may be tamed to hover around 

 with familiarity, and alight upon the hand for insect food. 

 The PL brevimanus, Jenyns, is merely the young; but there 

 are several exotic species.] We have also another, discovered by Daubenton, with much shorter ears, [now 

 forming the equivalent (livisi(Jti 



Barbastelle {Barbastelhts, Gray) — 

 The ears of "which are moderate, united, at base ; and there is a hollowed naked space on the upper 

 surface of the muzzle, in 

 which the nostrils are situ- 

 ated ; but one pair of false 

 molars to each jaw. 



B. Dauheyitojiii, Bell, (fig. 

 20,) is the only ascertained 

 species. It is of rare occur- 

 rence in Britain, and measures "^^"^P^'J^ " 1^^ 

 lOi inches in extent of wing.] " ^^ Y^. 



Finally, Ni/cticeiis*, Ra 

 fin., [ Scotophilus, Loach, 

 Pipistrellus, Bonap.], with FiR. i;n_i-,.-L,bHMc-Kus i.;m <_■ \..>a\ 



ears of medium size, and the simple muzzle of the Bats, has only two incisors to the u[)pcrjaw 

 [which are widely separated, and close to the canines.] It dofis not oiherwise ditfer from Veapertilio. 



The known species are from North America, [but others have since been discovered in the ancient continent, 

 as A''. Heaf/ni, Horsf., from India, and another from Java. Mr. Gray, indeed, includes most of the European Bats 

 in his Scotophllus ; but Temminck, wiio rejects Plecotus even, suggests, and 1 think with reason, that the present 

 also is a superfluous division, based on insufficient characters. Tlie Oreillards and Barbastelles are subordinate 

 to VespertiUo, also Furia, F. Cuv., (Fiiriptcrus, Bonap.) which has the tail partly cartilaginous, Natalns, Gray, 

 wherein the heel-bone extends the whole length of the interfemoral membrane ; Romicins, Gray, and Miniopterus, 

 Bonap. Alalapha, Ratin., is said to have no incisors, Hj/pexodon, Rafin., to have incisors (of the usual number, 

 six) in the lower jaw only ; Ln.siurua has been applied to a small group with the interfemoral membrane hairy ; 

 and lastly, Pachyotu-s and Ntjctalus, Bowditch, are divisions of no value whatever. It is to be regretted that 

 naturalists cannot occupy their time more profitably than in coining supernumerary names. 



itteii NinticrJHS. 



