184 
GEOGRAPHICAL ZOOLOGY. 
[PART iv. 
Family 13. — NOCTILIONIDiE. (14 Genera, 50 Species.) 
General Distribution. 
Neotropical 
Sub-regions. 
Nearctic Pal^earctic 
S ub-regions. Sub-regions, 
Ethiopian 
Sub-regions. 
Oriental 
Sub-regions. 
Australian 
Sub-regions. 
1 . 2 . 3. 4 1 
— 2 
1 . 2.3 .4 
1 . 2 . 3 . A 
4 . 
The Noctilionidse, or short-headed Bats, are found in every 
region, but are very unequally distributed. Their head-quarters 
is the Neotropical region, where most of the genera occur, and 
where they range from Mexico to Buenos Ayres and Chili, while 
in North America there is only one species in California. They are 
unknown in Australia ; but one species occurs in New Zealand, 
and another in Norfolk Island. Several species of Dysopes (or 
Molossus) inhabit the Oriental region ; one or two species being 
widely distributed over the continent, while two others inhabit 
the Indo-Malayan Islands. A species of this same genus occurs 
in South Africa, and another in Madagascar and in the Island of 
Bourbon ; while one inhabits Southern Europe and North Africa, 
and another is found at Amoy in China. It will be seen there- 
fore, that these are really South American bats, which have a few 
allies widely scattered over the various regions of the globe. 
Their affinities are, according to Mr. Tomes, with the Phyllos- 
tomidse, a purely South American family. The species which 
forms the connecting link is the Mystacina tuber mdata, a New 
Zealand hat, which may, with almost equal propriety be placed 
in either family, and which affords an interesting illustration of 
the many points of resemblance between the Australian and 
Neotropical regions. 
Dr. Peters has separated this family into three, — Mormopidse, 
which is wholly Neotropical, and is especially abundant in the 
West Indian Islands ; Molossidje, chiefly consisting of the 
genus Molossus ; and Noctilionidse, comprising the remainder of 
the family, and wholly Neotropical. Mr. Dobson, however, 
classes the Mormopes with the Phyllostomidas, and reduces the 
