CURATOR OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, ETC. ETC.
WITH
A NOTICE OF THEIR HABITS AND RANGES,
BY CHARLES DARWIN, ESQ. M.A. F.G.S. &c.
CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
MAMMALIA.
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.