Insectivoka. MAMMALIA. Talpid.®. 59 
suspended after death. It is necessary, therefore, to 
at a small but irregular distance, and this succession 
oblige them to take wing by alarming them, if it be 
continues uninterruptedly till darkness obstructs the 
desired to obtain them during the day. Soon after 
view. The flight of the kalong is slow and steady. 
sunset they gradually quit their hold, and pursue their 
pursued in a straight line, and capable of long con- 
nocturnal flight in quest of food. They direct their 
tinuance. The chase of the kalong forms occasionally 
course by an unerring instinct to the forests, villages, 
an amusement of the colonists and inhabitants during 
and plantations, occasioning incalculable mischief. 
the moonlight nights, which in the latitude of Java are 
attacking and devouring indiscriminately every kind of 
uncommonly serene. He is watched in his descent to 
fruit, from the abundant and useful cocoa-nut which 
the fruit trees, and a discharge of small shot readily 
surrounds the dwelling of the meanest peasantry, to the 
brings him to the ground. By this means I frequently 
rare and most delicate productions which are cultivated 
obtained four or five individuals in the course of an 
with care by princes and chiefs of distinction. By the 
hour.” Several other species of this remarkable 
latter, as well as by the European colonists, various 
genus are known, and in the year 1855 we had an 
methods are employed to protect the orchards and 
opportunity of watching the behaviour of a specimen 
gardens. Delicate fruits, such as mangoes, jambus. 
of Pteropus edulis in the collection of the Zoological 
lansas, et cetera, as they approach to maturity, are 
Society, Regent’s Park. Notwithstanding, however, 
ingeniously secured by means of a loose net or basket, 
the great care taken to keep it alive by the necessary 
skilfully constructed of split bamboo. Without this 
degree of artificial heat, our treacherous climate proved 
precaution little valuable fruit would escape the 
too much for it. Still more recently the society pro- 
ravages of the kalong. There are few situations in 
cured a living example of an allied species, namely, the 
the lower parts of Java in which this night wanderer 
Shoulder-knot Bat {Epomorphorus Whitii) from West 
is not constantly observed ; as soon as the light of the 
Africa; but this has likewise perished. These bats 
sun has retired, one animal is seen to follow the other 
fed principally upon raisins. 
Order IV.— INSECTIVOEA. 
Setting aside for a moment the remarkable devia- 
In some members the dental characters approximate 
tions of structure witnessed in the formation of the 
towards the Rodentia by the elongated form of the 
wings and nasal appendages in the preceding order. 
anterior incisors, the remaining cutting teeth, together 
we appear to pass by a very natural transition to the 
with the canines, being even shorter than the molars. 
insectivorous mammalia, properly so called, at least. 
Certain of the Quadrumana also have a dentition very 
when departing from the insect-feeding series of the 
like this. The head is lengthened, and its constituent 
bat family. Baron Cuvier, be it observed, placed the 
bones more slender than in true Carnivora. Another 
Cheiroptera at the head of his third great order of 
cogent difference from the last-named family lies in 
unguiculated quadrupeds, collectively termed Carnas- 
the presence of well-developed collar bones or clavicles, 
siers; regarding the few frugivorous bats then known 
which are only occasionally seen in the carnivorous 
as aberrant departures from the real carnivorous type. 
mammalia in a very rudimentary condition. The 
As, however, the principal point of similarity connected 
limbs of Insectivora are generally short, and, with one 
with these groups consists in the cutting character of 
or two notable exceptions, rather feeble ; the feet are 
the grinding teeth, it will be understood that many 
furnished with five toes, and in walking the whole sole 
other structural considerations, of equal importance in 
or palm is applied to the ground, forming a character- 
the ejms of naturalists, have determined the propriety 
istic mode of progression termed plantigrade, and 
of treating certain insectivorous mammals under a 
shared by a large section of the Carnivora proper ; the 
separate order. Professor Owen, as we have seen, 
under surfaces of the feet are also consequently desti- 
even places both the Cheiroptera and Insectivora in his 
tute of hair. The lateral integumentary expansions 
lissencephalous subclass — an arrangement which, based 
seen in Cheiroptera have entirely disappeared, while the 
on cerebral characters, separates these orders still 
nature of the epidermal covering varies considerably in 
further from the true carnivora, and brings them nearer 
different genera ; the tail is sometimes very short. In 
the rodentia. The insect-eating bats also resemble the 
this order there is no caecal appendage to the large 
order at present under consideration, by their conical 
intestine. The two mammae are situated on the 
elevations on the molar teeth, while many of the 
abdominal surface. The various species feed prin- 
insectivora likewise hybernate, passing the winter in a 
cipally upon insects, and like the bats are frequently 
torpid state. A common character, prevailing more or 
nocturnal and subterranean ; a few of them have 
less throughout the entire order, is noticed in the 
remarkable uniformity pervading the whole dental 
arboreal habits. 
series, rendering it at first sight somewhat puzzling to 
recognize and separate the teeth into their ordinary 
Family I.--TALPrDAl. 
triad divisions — incisives, canines, and molars. In 
The group of species associated under this title are 
the more typical forms the canines assume their ordi- 
familiarly termed Moles; and although, on a superficial 
nary conspicuity, being also widely separated from each 
examination, there does not appear much to invite us 
other, while the incisives are correspondingly small. 
to the contemplation of their structural and functional 
1 
