THE FAMILIES AND GENERA OF BATS. 187 
1886. Emballonuridce (part; Furies) Gill, Standard Natural History, V, 
p. 169. 
1891. Emballonuridce (part; Emballonurince, part, Furipterine division) 
Flower and Lydekker, Mammals, living and extinct, p. 666. 
1892, Vespertilionidce (part; Natalini, part) Winge, Jordfundne og nu- 
levende Flagermus (Chiroptera) fra Lagoa Santa, Minas Geraes, Bra- 
silien, p. 24. 
1899. Natalidw (part) Miller, Bull. Amer. Mus. Nat. Hist., XII, p. 245, 
December 23, 1899. 
Geographic distribution. — Warmer parts of South America. 
Characters. — Wing as in the Natalidse, except that the trochiter is 
slightly more developed and the greatly reduced thumb is included 
in the membrane to base of minute, functionless claw. Width of 
presternum slightly greater than length, the broad keel projecting 
forward; xiphisternum slender, fused with broad, flat presternum, 
the two together marked with a low median ridge, which is nowhere 
sufficiently developed to form a keel. Pelvis and lumbar vertebrae as 
in the Natalidae. Skull differing from that of the Natalidae in the 
extremely rudimentary condition of the palatal branches of the pre- 
maxillaries, these processes reduced to mere cartilaginous filaments. 
Antorbital canal short, extending from middle of pm 4 to middle of 
m 1 ; its length about equal to that of m 1 ; its posterior orifice normal, 
not situated in a funnel-shaped depression as in the Natalidae. Teeth 
as in the Natalidae, except that canines are, so far as known, inva- 
riably reduced to about the height of the corresponding large 
premolars (a character occurring in one genus of Katalidse). 
History. — Though originally placed with the typical Vespertilion- 
ine bats, the members of this group were associated with the Molos- 
sines as early as 1855, a position which they retained jDractically 
without question until their relationship with Natalus was pointed 
out by Winge in 1892. Though undoubtedly related to the Natali- 
dse, the group seems worthy of recognition as a family. 
Remarks. — The Furipteridse are distinguished from the Natalidse 
by the less modified sternum, of which the anterior segment bears an 
almost normal keel, while the middle and posterior segments are 
essentially without keel, and the much reduced, functionless thumb, 
the latter a very remarkable character and, so far as I am aware, 
one which is unique among bats. The cartilaginous condition of 
the palatal branches of the jiremaxillaries and the reduction in the 
size of the canines are features of less importance, the latter being, in 
fact, almost exactly reproduced in the Nataline genus Nyctiellus. In 
both of the genera now known the rostrum is relatively much shorter 
than in the Natalidse and there are only two upper premolars. This 
condition of the dental formula is approached by Nyctiellus , in 
which pm 2 is much more reduced than in the other members of its 
family. As compared with the Natalidae, the more generalized and 
