PERUVIAN BAT. 
Quadruped, should have four feet; and a Bird, 
should have feathers and wings. In the Bat, 
the fore-feet, though they serve the animal for 
the double purpose of flying and of trailing it's 
body on the ground, are neither wings nor 
feet. They are deformed extremities, the 
bones of which are enormously lengthened ; 
and they are united by a membrane, which is 
neither covered v/ith feathers nor with hair. 
They are a species of pinions, or winged paws, 
in which we see only a claw of an inch in 
length: and the other four long toes must act 
along with the former ; for they have no pro- 
per movements, or separate functions. They 
are a kind of hands ; ten times larger than the 
feet, and four times larger than the hodv, of 
the animal. In short, they. are parts which 
have rather the air of caprice, than of a regu- 
lar production. This membrane covers the 
arm ; forms the wings, or hands, of tiie ani- 
mal ; unites with the skin of the body : and, 
at the same time, surrounds the legs, and even 
the tail; which, by this wliimsical conjunc- 
tion, becomes, in sorne measure, one ot the 
toes. To these dissimilarities, and dispropor- 
tions, of the body, and it's members, may be 
added 
