Part II (Cheiroptera).
Until lately not very much attention had been paid to the parasites of bats, probably on account of the insignificance of the hosts. However, whilst Dr Dobson has recently been extending the subject of Cheiropterology, Prof. van Beneden has added largely to our knowledge of the parasites of bats. In his beautiful memoir, the Belgian helminthologist asks whether the parasites quit their hosts during the period of hybernation, and then proceeds to answer that question in the negative. Should the bats die, the parasites of necessity share the same fate. It would appear, however, that the spermatozoa of the worms are capable of surviving their parents for a fortnight or even longer. Flukes abound; the most common species (Distoma lima) infesting the pipistrelle, noctule, mouse-colored bat, Natterer’s bat, parti-colored bat, Daubenton’s bat, whiskered bat, and the greater and lesser horseshoe bats. Almost as abundant is the Distoma chilostomum found in most of these bats, and also in Leisler’s or the hairy-armed bat. Dujardin’s D. heteroporum is a synonym of the species. Schreber’s Monostomum is probably identical with Van Beneden’s Distoma ascidia. This fluke he found in Vespertilio marinus, V. dasycnemus, V. Daubentonii, V. emarginatus, V. serotinus, V. mystacinus, V. pipistrellus, V. auritus, and in Rhinolophus hippocrepis. Another species, distinguished from D. ascidia by its large ventral sucker, has been found in great numbers in the noctule (D. ascidioïdes, Van Beneden). The cestodes of bats are not numerous. The best known species (Tænia obtusata) has been found in the serotine, in the mouse-colored bat, and in Vespertilio lasiurus. Another species (T. decipiens) occurs in Molossus perotis, and Chylonycteris rubiginosus, and a scolex, forming the type of a new genus and species (Milina grisea, Van Ben.) has been obtained by hundreds in the intestines of Vesp. murinus and V. serotinus. Of nematodes we have Ophiostomum mucronatum, Rud., and Oph. spinosum, W.-Suhm (from Vespertilio mystacinus)., Trichosomum speciosum, Van Ben., Strongylus tipula, Van Ben., Strongylacantha glycyrrhiza, Van Ben., Litosoma filaria, Van Ben., Ascarops minuta, Van Ben., and one or two sexually-immature forms, either found loose in the tissues or occupying cysts. The Acanthocephala are not known to infest bats. Respecting insects, one family (Nycteribiidæ) is exclusively parasitic upon bats. They resemble the forest-flies in their habits. The best known species is Nycteribia Latreillei, but several others (N. biarticulata and N. Sykesii, Westw.) have been described. One or more of the Brazilian bats are infested by Lipoptena phyllostomatis, Nitsch, and Westwood has obtained several allied forms of Hipposcidæ (of the genus Strebla), also from bats. As regards the true Arachnidans (mites and ticks), Van Beneden enumerates Ixodes lividus, Van Ben., Pteroptus vespertilionis and P. arcuatus, Koch, Otonissus aurantiacus and Cerathophyllus octactenus, both of Kolenati, and Caris elliptica.
Bibliography (No. 43).—Audouin, ‘Ann. des Sci. Nat.,’ xxv.—Beneden, P. J. van, “Les Parasites des Chauves-souris de Belgique,” fr. vol. xl of the ‘Mém. de l’Acad.,’ 1873.—Diesing, ‘Syst. Helm.,’ ii, p. 530.—Dufour, ‘Ann. des Sci. Nat.,’ 1831.—Dujardin, l. c., p. 437.—Kolenati, ‘Die Parasiten der Chiropteren,’ 1857.—Latreille, art. “Nycteribie,” in ‘Nouv. Dict. d’Inst. nat.’—Müller, ‘Zool. Danica,’ ii, p. 43, “Fasciola vesp. (syn. Dist. lima).”—Perty, “Lipoptena,” ‘Del. an. art. Brasil’ (quoted by Westwood).—Rudolphi, ‘Synops.,’ p. 117.—Westwood, “Mém.,” in ‘Zool. Soc. Trans.,’ 1835.—Idem, ‘Modern Classif. of Insects,’ vol. ii, p. 585, 1840.—Willemoes-Suhm, R. V., “Helminthologische Notizen,” iii, ‘Zeitsch. f. wiss. Zool.,’ 1873.