. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE PALE CHESTXUT MASTIFF BAT. 319 lower jaw ; and t'le tail extends for fully half its length be^vond the iuterfemoral membrane, which is small, and stretched by long curved heel-spurs. A small membranous baud crosses the shank, uniting the wing with the iuterfemoral membrane. The general colour of the fur is a mouse-grey, palar below ; on the backs of the toes there are some loag white The wings in this and the other species of Nyctinonius are long but narrow; the second linger, wluch runs to the tip of the wing, being very long,
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE PALE CHESTXUT MASTIFF BAT. 319 lower jaw ; and t'le tail extends for fully half its length be^vond the iuterfemoral membrane, which is small, and stretched by long curved heel-spurs. A small membranous baud crosses the shank, uniting the wing with the iuterfemoral membrane. The general colour of the fur is a mouse-grey, palar below ; on the backs of the toes there are some loag white The wings in this and the other species of Nyctinonius are long but narrow; the second linger, wluch runs to the tip of the wing, being very long, so long indeed that its metacarpal bone alone exceeds the fourth or hiiiclmost finger in length. The inner toe also is rather largei than the rest, and somewhat separated from them, without, however, taking on the form and function of an opposable thumb. The head and body in this Bat ai-e about three inches and a ^quarter long, and the tail rather more than two inches, of which about an inch is within the iuterfemoral membrane. It has a very wide distribu- tion, being found in the South of Europe and throughout Jfortliern Africa, and occurring also at Amoy, in China, where Mr. Swiidioe obtained specimens of it. He describes the iuterfemoral membrane as fitting loosely on the tail like a glove, so that it can slip up and down at the will of the animal. It flies high in the air, where it can be readily distinguished by the narrowness of its wings. A specimen that"Mr. Swinhoe kept for some time alive would slip the "^"' "' """"'lV .T"",' T .i r i V ^ Proceeiuis of the ZoologwaX SouUt) ) iuterfemoral membrane up and down when irritated, and had the further disagreeable habit under such cii-cumstances of protruding its eyes until they seemed ready to fall out of theii- sockets. In Egypt Cestoni's Bat is one of those that frequent the Pyramids and other old , which must make that country a perfect paradise for Bats.* THE
Size: 1587px × 1574px
Photo credit: © Book Worm / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecta, booksubjectanimals
