HORSE-SHOE BATS. 17 



their most characteristic feature, and one by which they can 

 be distinguished at a glance from all the other British represen- 

 tatives of the Order. It may be added that the ears are large 

 and generally separated from one another, while they are 

 devoid of an inner earlet, or tragus. There are several other 

 peculiar features connected with these Bats, but since these are 

 not required to distinguish them from their British cousins of 

 the next family, we shall content ourselves by observing that 

 the two pairs of upper incisors are quite rudimentary, while 

 the anterior pre-molar tooth in the upper jaw is reduced to an 

 extremely minute size. 



From the great development of the nose-leaf (which must be 

 regarded as a highly sensitive organ of perception), coupled 

 with other features in their organisation, the Leaf-nosed Bats 

 must be considered as the most highly organised and special- 

 ised members of the insect-eating division of the Order. Un- 

 known in the New World, as well as in a large part of Oceania, 

 these Bats are distributed over the temperate and tropical 

 regions of the Eastern Hemisphere, where they are represented 

 by several genera, and a large number of species. The two 

 British members of the family belong to the under-mentioned 

 and typical genus. 



GENUS RIIINOLOPHUS. 

 Rhinolophics, Desmarest, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. vol. xix. p. 

 383 (1803)- 



First hind-toe with two joints, and each of the others with 

 three ; a distinct anti-tragus (or secondary eariet) separated by 

 a notch from the outer margin of the ear. 



These two features serve to distinguish the members of this 

 genus from all the other representatives of the Family, but a 

 few additional peculiarities may be noticed. 



The incisors comprise two upper and three lower pairs, and 



S ^ 



