Family—PHYLLOSTOMIDÆ.
Desmodus D’Orbignyi.
Plate I. Natural size. Skull, teeth, &c. Pl. XXXV., figs. 1.
D. pilis nitidis adpressis; corpore suprà fusco, pilis ad basin albis; gulâ abdomineque cinerescenti-albis; nasûs prosthemate parvulo bifido.
Description.—The fur of this Bat is glossy and has a silk-like appearance; that on the top of the head, sides of the face, and the whole of the upper parts of the body, is of a deep brown colour; all the hairs on these parts, however, are white at the base. The flanks, interfemoral membrane, and the arms, are also covered on their upper side with brown hairs. On the lower part of the sides of the face, and the whole of the under parts of the body, the hairs are of an ashy-white colour. The membrane of the wing is brownish. The ears are of moderate size, and somewhat pointed; externally they are covered with minute brown hairs, and internally with white. The tragus is also covered with white hairs; it is of a narrow form, pointed at the tip, and has a small acute process in the middle of the outer margin. The nose-leaf is pierced by the nostrils, which diverge posteriorly, and is so deeply cleft on its hinder margin, that it may be compared to two small leaflets joined side by side near their bases. These leaflets, unlike the nose-leaf of the Phyllostomina, lie horizontally on the nose to which they are attached throughout, a slight ridge only indicating their margin. Around the posterior part of the nose-leaf there is a considerable naked space, in which two small hollows are observable, situated one on each side, and close to the nose-leaf; and, at a short distance behind the nose-leaf, this naked membrane is slightly elevated, and forms a transverse fleshy tubercle.
| In. | Lines. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of | head and body | 3 | 3 |
| interfemoral membrane | 0 | 3½ | |
| the antibrachium | 2 | 2 | |
| thumb (claw included) | 0 | 8 | |
| tibia | 0 | 10 | |
| tarsus (claw included) | 0 | 8⅓ | |
| ear | 0 | 4 | |
| tragus | 0 | 3 | |
| nose-leaf | 0 | 2¼ | |
| Expanse of | the wings | 12 | 8 |
Habitat, Coquimbo, Chile. (May.)
“The Vampire Bat,” says Mr. Darwin in his MS. notes upon the present species, “is often the cause of much trouble, by biting the horses on their withers. The injury is generally not so much owing to the loss of blood, as to the inflammation which the pressure of the saddle afterwards produces. The whole circumstance has lately been doubted in England; I was therefore fortunate in being present when one was actually caught on a horse’s back. We were bivouacking late one evening near Coquimbo, in Chile, when my servant, noticing that one of the horses was very restive, went to see what was the matter, and fancying he could distinguish something, suddenly put his hand on the beast’s withers, and secured the Vampire. In the morning, the spot where the bite had been inflicted was easily distinguished from being slightly swollen and bloody. The third day afterwards we rode the horse, without any ill effects.”
Before the introduction of the domesticated quadrupeds, this Vampire Bat probably preyed on the guanaco, or vicugna, for these, together with the puma, and man, were the only terrestrial mammalia of large size, which formerly inhabited the northern part of Chile. This species must be unknown, or very uncommon in Central Chile, since Molina, who lived in that part, says (Compendio de la Historia del Reyno de Chile, vol. i. p. 301,) “that no blood-sucking species is found in this province.”
It is interesting to find that the structure of this animal is in perfect accordance with the habits as above detailed by Mr. Darwin. Among other points, the total absence of true molars, and consequent want of the power of masticating food, is the most remarkable. On the other hand we find the canines and incisors perfectly fitted for inflicting a wound such as described, while the small size of the interfemoral membrane (giving freedom to the motions of the legs,) together with the unusually large size of the thumb and claw, would enable this Bat, as I should imagine, to fix itself with great security to the body of the horse.
I have named this species after M. d’Orbigny, who has added so much to our information on the zoological productions of South America. The Edostoma cinerea[[2]] of that author has evidently a close affinity to the animal here described, and differs chiefly (judging from the drawing published in his work) in the larger size of the ears, in having the nose-leaf free, and the surrounding membrane free and elevated.
As M. d’Orbigny has not yet published the character of his genus Edostoma, his figure is my only guide, and in this figure I find the dentition agreeing both with that of the present species, and that of the genus Desmodus of Prince Maximilian,—as would appear from the published descriptions, and figure given by M. de Blainville[[3]].—The points of distinction between M. d’Orbigny’s animal and the species here described, are not, in my opinion, of sufficient importance to constitute generic characters, I have, therefore, retained the name of Desmodus.
It is desireable perhaps to separate the Blood-sucking Bats from the Insectivorous species, and place them between the latter group and the Pteropina, (with which they agree in the large size of the thumb and the rudimentary interfemoral membrane,) under a sectional name, which I propose to call Hæmatophilini.
1. Phyllostoma Grayi.
Plate II.
P. fusco-cinereum; nasûs prosthemate lanceolato; auribus mediocribus, trago basin versus extùs unidentato; caudâ gracillimâ, brevi, et membranâ interfemorali inclusâ; verrucâ complanatâ ad apicem menti, verrucis parvulis circumdatâ.
Description.—This Phyllostoma agrees with the species described by Mr. J. Gray[[4]] under the name of Childreni, in having on the lower lip “an half ovate group of crowded warts,” but is of a much smaller size, and differs also in colour.
The number of teeth are as follows:—incisors ⁴⁄₄; canines ²⁄₂; molars 5⁵⁄₅–5 = 32. The intermediate pair of incisors of the upper jaw are large, compressed, and have their apices rounded; the lateral pair are so minute, that they are scarcely visible without the assistance of a lens: the four incisors of the lower jaw, are somewhat crowded, the intermediate pair are slightly larger than the lateral; they are all deeply notched, and broad at the apex. The cerebral portion of the skull is much arched and the anterior portion is depressed. The zygomatic arch is imperfect; see Pl. 35. figs. 2. The nose-leaf is lanceolate, and of moderate size: the ears are also of moderate size; they are rounded at the tip and emarginated on their exterior edge: the tragus is elongated, and suddenly attenuated towards the apex; the outer margin is deeply notched towards the base, and very obscurely crenulated above this notch. The interfemoral membrane is of moderate extent, and emarginated posteriorly. The tail, which is very slender, is entirely enclosed by the interfemoral membrane, and the visible portion appears to consist of but two joints, which together, measure about two and a half lines in length. The basal half of the thumb is enclosed in membrane. The fur is soft and rather long. The general tint of the upper and under parts of the body is brownish-ash; the hairs on the neck and on the whole of the back are grey at the base, then white, or nearly so, brownish-ash near the tip, and whitish at the tip. On the belly the hairs are nearly of an uniform brown-ash colour, their apices only being whitish. The ears, nose-leaf, and membrane of the wings, are of a sooty-black hue.
| In. | Lines. | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Length of | head and body | 2 | 0 |
| antibrachium | 1 | 4⅓ | |
| thumb (claw included) | 0 | 5½ | |
| tibia | 0 | 7 | |
| ear | 0 | 7 | |
| nose-leaf | 0 | 3⅓ | |
| Expanse of | the wings | 10 | 0 |
Habitat, Pernambuco, Brazil. (August.)
“This species appeared to be common at Pernambuco (five degrees north of Bahia). Upon entering an old lime-kiln in the middle of the day, I disturbed a considerable number of them: they did not seem to be much incommoded by the light, and their habitation was much less dark than that usually frequented as a sleeping place by these animals.” D.
I have named this species after Mr. John Gray, the author of several extensive memoirs on the order to which it belongs, and to whom I am indebted for valuable assistance whilst comparing this and other species with those contained in the collection of the British Museum.