CARNARIA. 
71 
an organ of suction ; and their lips also have tuhereles symmetrically arranged. They are American 
animals, which run along the ground with more facility than the other Bats, and have a habit of 
sucking the blood of animals. 
1. Tailless Phyllostomes {Vampyrus, Spix). 
The Vampyre [of authors] {Vesp. spectrum, Lin.)— (fig. 
12.) This animal is reddish-brown, and as large as a 
Magpie. It has been accused of causing the death of 
men and animals by sucking their blood ; but the truth 
appears to be, that it inflicts only very small wounds, 
which may sometimes prove dangerous from the effects of 
the climate. [There are several others, certain of which 
compose the divisions Madatceus and Arctibeus, Leach, 
Lophostoma, Orb., (which is very like a Desmodus ex- 
ternally,) Diphylla, Spix, and Carollia, Gray, — founded on 
trivial modifications of the form of the nose-leaf, tragus, 
and interfemoral membrane.] 
2. Phyllostomes with the tail enveloped in the interfe 
moral membrane. 
The Javelin Ph. {Vesp. hastatus, Lin.)— The leaf shaped 
like the head of a javelin, with its edges entire. [Also 
various others, some of which constitute Macrophyllum and 
Brachyphylla, Gray.] 
3. Phyllostomes with the tail free above the membrane. 
Ph. crenulatum, Geof. — The leaf indented on the side. 
M. Geotfroy distinguishes from the Phyllostomes 
those species which have a narrow extensile tongue, 
furnished with papillae resembling hairs. He de- 
signates them Glossophagues (Glossophaga). All 
the species are likewise from America. [These also 
have been subdivided, according to the presence or 
absence of a short tail, and other frivolous characters 
into Phj/llophora and Anoura, Gray, Monophyllus, 
Leach, and Glossophaga, as restricted. Spix applies to 
one of them {Gl. amplexicaudata, Phyllophora of 
Gray) the term Sanguisuga crudelissima, — “ a very 
cruel blood-sucker." According to Mr. Bell, the tongue of Phyllostoma, has “ a number of wart-like 
elevations, so arranged as to form a complete circular suctorial disc, when they are brought into con- 
tact at their sides, which is done by means of a set of muscular fibres, having a tendon attached to 
each of the warts." The teeth of these animals, however, are decidedly ill-adapted for blood-letting. 
Fig. 12. — Vacipyrus spectrum. 
The True Vampyres {Desmodus, Pr. Max., Edostoma, Orb., Stenoderma ?, Geof.) 
This extraordinary genus has two immense, projecting, approximate upper incisors, and similar 
lancet-shaped superior canines, all of which are excessively sharp-pointed, and arranged to inflict a 
triple puncture, like that of a Leech ; four bilobate inferior 
incisors, the innermost separated by a wide interval ; the 
lower canines small and not compressed : there are no true 
molars, but two false ones on the upper jaw, and three on 
the lower, of a peculiar form, apparently unfitted for mas- 
tication (fig. 13). The intestine is shorter than in any 
other known animal ; as blood, which probably constitutes 
their sole food, is so readily assimilated.* They have the 
general characters of the Phyllostomes externally, a small 
bifid membrane on the nose, no tail or calcaneum, and the 
interfemoral membrane but little developed. Are also in- 
habitants of South America. 
Fig. 13. — Teeth of Desmodus. 
♦ In Vespertilo noctula, the intestine is only twice the length of I proceeds almost straight to the anus. It would be interesting to know 
the body, while in P^erupus it is full seven times. In Desmodus, it ' the first or milk teeth of 
