(Vespertilio Vampyrus, Lin.-La Roussette, Buff.)

Is above one foot in length, and the extent of its wings more than four: it has large canine teeth, four cutting teeth above, and the same below; its tongue is pointed, and terminated with sharp-pointed papillæ, or prickles; its nose is sharp, and its ears large and naked; it has five toes on the hind feet, furnished with strong hooked claws; it has no tail; the head is of a dark rust colour; the back dusky; the neck, shoulders, and under side, of a lightish brown, inclining to red; the membranes of the wings dusky.

Tfurs, and are extremely fond of the ce of me pam-re, with which they will frequently Imtiaz Zemes to drop on the ground. One iunared and fit we hundred of them may sometimes e xa in the same tree, all hanging with their beais own, mi her wings failed; and in this manner Ser repose during great part of the day. They grow very fur an certain times of the year; and when young, they are eaten by the Indians, and considered as excellent fod

THE ROUGETTE, OR LESSER TERNATE BAT, INHABITS the same countries, and is very similar to the last in the shape of its head and body: the hair is of a cinereous brown colour; and on the neck it has a halfcollar, of a lively red, mixed with orange. It is about five inches long; and the extent of its wings little more than two feet.

The Rougettes fly in flocks, and perfectly obscure the air with their numbers. They fly from one island to another, and begin their flight about sun-set. During the day, they lodge in the hollow trunks of trees. They live chiefly in trees; and when about to fly, they beat the air with their wings, before they can disengage themselves from the branch to which they are attached. When shot at or suddenly surprised, several of them fall to the ground; and in that situation are incapable of resuming their flight, till they climb upon some elevated object. They move awkwardly on the ground, and use their utmost efforts to quit it as soon as possible. Both these kinds bring forth only one young at a time once

a year.

THE SPECTRE BAT.

(Vespertilio Spectrum, Lin.-Le Vampire, Buff.)

ITs nose is long; and at the end there is a membrane, of a conical form, somewhat like a horn, but flexile, which gives it a hideous and disgusting aspect. It has no tail. Its body is covered with long hair, of an ash colour. It is found in Surinam. Stedman, in his account of that colony, particularly describes it, and says that it is fond of human blood.

THE SENEGAL BAT

Has two cutting teeth in the upper, and six in the under jaw; and two canine teeth, and eight grinders, in each jaw its head is long, ears short and pointed, head and body of a tawny brown colour, belly lighter, length rather more than four inches, extent of the wings twentyone. It is found in Senegal.

THE BULL-DOG BAT.

ITs nose is thick; lips large, and somewhat pendulous; its ears are broad and round, the edges touching each other in the front; the upper part of the body is of a deep ash colour, the lower paler; its tail long; length about two inches; extent of the wings nine and a half: it has twenty-six teeth; two cutting and two canine in each jaw; eight grinders in the upper, and ten in the lower jaw. It inhabits the West Indies.

THE BEARDED BAT.

THE nostrils of this animal are not separated by a cartilage, as in most animals, but are placed on the side of a small gutter or furrow, which is open from one end to the other; the ears are long and narrow; the upper part of the head and body is of a reddish brown colour, the lower part whitish, tinged with yellow; hair on the forehead and under the chin very long; length of the body about an inch and a half; extent of the wings little more than seven.

THE STRIPED BAT

(Vespertilio Spasina, Lin.)

Has a small, short nose; ears short, broad, and pointing forward. These Bats vary in colour. The body is generally of a clear brown, the under part which: its wings are striped with black, and sometimes with yellow and brown. Length of the body two inches. It is a native of Ceylon, where it is called Kiriwoula.

To this we may add a very minute kind, mentioned by Mr Forster, which was seen and heard in myriads on the island of Tanna, one of the New Hebrides; but every attempt of our voyagers to obtain a nearer inspection of them failed of success.

Bats differ very much in the number and disposition of their teeth, which has occasioned no small confusion in the arrangements of systematic writers; some of them being furnished with two, others with more, cutting teeth in each jaw.

We have now given the most distinguished varieties of this curious species. It would be fruitless, if not impossible, to point out all the peculiarities to be found in the various tribes which abound in every country in the world, and differ from each other more in their habis and dispositions than in their ex.erior form and appearance, which in all of them seem to be equally deformed and disgusting. But we should not from hence conclude that imperfection and deformity are always in uniform analogy with the notions we have preconceived of what is fair and beautiful. Amidst the infinite productions of Creative Power, variety of form, difference of faculties, and degrees of utility, are eminently observable; composing one general plan, in which wisdom, order, and fitness, are displayed through all its parts.