LEAF-NOSED BATS. 
265 
sionally venturing forth at twilight when the warm southern winds are blowing. 
The horseshoe-bats, with their near allies the leaf-nosed bats, may be regarded 
as the most highly organised of the entire insectivorous group, as is especially 
indicated by the great development of their nasal appendages, and also by their 
compact and delicately-formed bones. 
The leaf-nosed bats (ddipposiderus) may be distinguished from the preceding 
group by the form of the nose-leaf, in which the upper and hinder portion does 
not terminate in a point, and there is also no median process hiding the nostrils. 
Moreover, the large leaf-like antitragus found in front of the ears of the horseshoe- 
bats is reduced to a very small remnant; and the teeth, owing to a reduction in 
the number of the premolars, are fewer than in the horseshoe-bats, the total 
being either thirty or twenty-eight. Leaf-nosed bats are quite unknown in 
Europe, but are widely spread over the warmer regions of Africa, Asia, and 
Australia. Some of these bats exceed in size the largest of the horseshoe group; 
the largest of all being Commerson’s bat (Id. commersoni), from Africa and 
Madagascar, next to which is the great Himalayan leaf-nosed bat (Id. cirmiger), 
extending from the Eastern Himalaya to China. Males of this species are just 
over 4 inches in length, exclusive of the tail. The following account of its habits 
is taken from Dr. J. Scully, who writes: “ This bat usually harbours during the 
day in caves, or commonly in lofts, outhouses, and sheds that are little used; in the 
latter localities it suspends itself, by the claws of the feet, from the rafters. When 
attaching itself in this way to the edge of a beam or rafter, the animal sways, 
pendulum-like, a few times until the impetus given during flight is exhausted; and it 
then hangs motionless with its wings folded close to the body. If slightly alarmed 
by the opening of a door, or any unusual noise in the room it occupies, the head is 
thrust out and turned carefully in various directions, as if for the purpose of finding 
out the cause of disturbance. On such occasions I have purposely dropped a heavy 
book on the floor so as to alarm the bat thoroughly. The animal would at once fly 
off, and either take several turns round the room or else leave it; but it invariably 
returned quickly and attached itself to the spot it had previously occupied. It 
comes out for the capture of its prey about sunset, and its hunting-grounds are 
gardens, orchards, cleared spaces in woods, or avenues of trees; somewhere near 
trees always. It is sometimes found flying on a level with the tops of the trees, 
but more commonly nearer the ground; a very characteristic movement it has is a 
slow but steady sweep round a leafy tree, or clump of trees, in search of insects 
which frequent the lower branches. While it was intently occupied in this circular 
flight I have been nearly touched on the face by this bat, as I walked across the 
grounds attached to my house in Nipal. And in passing so close to one it could 
be distinctly heard crunching the hard-bodied insects it had caught between its 
strong teeth. Sometimes these bats come out of their day retreat before the insects 
they are in search of are to be found in plenty. On the 25th August, about 6 P.M., 
I noticed an example flying close to a tree. It circled twice round the tree while I 
was watching it, keeping about three feet above the ground. Apparently finding 
that none of the insects it wanted were about, it suspended itself to a small hori¬ 
zontal branch of the tree, just three and a half feet above the ground, and so 
remained for some time. It was probably waiting for a more propitious hour. 
