74 



MAMMALIA. 



Vespertilio. The Egyptian species is represented to have small eyes ; but that figured by Gen. Hardwicke (Lin. 

 Trans., vol. xiv. p. 525) possesses eyes proportionally as large as in a Squirrel, and we have examined skins of 

 another species (chinchilla-grey above, pure white beneath), in which the same character must have been con- 

 spicuous.] 



The Mormopes (Mormoops, Leach) — 



Have four incisors to each jaw, the superior rather large ; the inferior trilobate : their skull (fig. 17) is 



singularly raised like a pyramid above the muzzle ; and on each side of the nose is a triangular 



membrane, which extends to the ear. 



The species M. Blainvillii, Leach, is from Java. [It has since been received, together with two others of the 

 same form (but considered by Gray as separable), from Jamaica ; so that the former locality may be presumed to 

 be wrongly assigned.] 



The ordinary Bats [to which this term may be restricted] {Vespertilio, Cuv. and Geof.) — 



Have no leaf or other distinctive mark on the muzzle, and the ears separated ; four incisors above, of 



which the two middle ones are apart, and six below, sharp-edged, and somewhat notched * : their tail 



is comprehended in the membrane. 



This subgenus is the most numerous of all, and universally distributed. There are six or seven species 

 in France [more than double that number. Thirteen have now been met with in England, including the Barbastelle 

 and Oreillard. The sexes aud young of several congregate separately.!] 



* M. Rousseau, in a memoir on the anatomy of P'esp. murinus, 

 states, of the two dentitions of this animal, that the first is developed 

 before birth, the second not till sometime afterwards. The fuctal teeth, 

 he remarks, are twenty-two in number ; namely, four incisors, two 

 canines, and four molars to the upper jaw, and six incisors, two 

 canines, and four molars to the lower one. The permanent teeth, in 

 the adult, are thirty-eight in number; of which twenty-two should 

 replace the fretal or temporary teeth ; the sixteen others successively 

 shoir themselves, later as their position is further backward. The 

 permanent teeth do not wait to appear until their predecessors 

 are shed, whence at a certain epoch forty or fifty teeth, or even more, 

 may be counted in the same individual: this last fact we have ob- 

 served in the instance of the common Fitchet Weasel.— En. 



t To facilitate the researches of the British naturalist, our known 

 Indigenous species may be briefly indicated : it is not unlikely that 

 more remain to be discovered, as but few persons have hitherto be- 

 stowed much attention on these lucifugal animals. 



The British species fall under two natural divisions. 



In the first, the tragus is more or less rounded at the tip, short, and 

 a little thickened in its substance ; there are four pairs of false molars 

 to each jaw. Such are 



The Noctule Bat (F. noctula).— Of a bright reddish-brown; the 

 membrane dusky. Length of the head and body nearly 3 inches : ex- 

 tent 13 or 14 inches. Ears oval-triangular, shorter than the head ; 

 the tragus not one-third the length of the ear, arcuated, and termi- 

 nated in a broad rounded head ; muzzle short, broad, and blunt. 

 This species is not uncommon, and is even numerous in some 

 districts : its flight is lofty, whence designated altivoluna by White. 



Hairy-armed Bat {F. Leisleri).— The fur long, bright chestnut above, 

 brownish grey beneath ; under surface of the flying membrane with a 

 broad band of hair along the fore-arm. Length of the head and body 

 2Vi? inches ; extent lHj. inches. The ears oval-triangular, shorter than 

 the head ; tragus barely one-third the length of the ear, terminating 

 in a rounded head. But one specimen is known to have been killed in 

 England. 



Particoloured Bat {F. discolor). — Fur reddish-brown above, with 

 the tips of the hairs white; beneath, sullied white. Length of the 

 head and body 2$a inches ; extent 10V-> inches. Ears about two- 

 thirds the length of the head, oval, with a projecting lobe on the 

 inner margin; the tragus of nearly equal breadth throughout, rather 

 more than one-third the length of the ear. It inhabits towns, and 

 comes abroad early in the evening. The only native specimen was 

 taken at Plymouth. 



Pipistrelle Bat {F. pipistrrllus, erroneously termed V. murinus by 

 British writers till very lately).— This small species is the commonest 

 of any ; it is dark reddish brown, paler beneath. Length to the tail 

 1% inch ; extent 8*4 inches. Ears two-thirds the length of the head, 

 oval-triangular, notched on the outer margin; tragus nearly half as 

 long as the ear, almost straight, thickened, obtuse, and rounded at 

 the apex. It runs with celerity, carrying its head near the ground, 

 from which it rises with ease; and is active during the greater part 

 of the year. The Pygmy Bat [F. pygm&us, Leach,) is evidently a 

 young animal, and probably of this species. 



Toe next has only two pairs of superior false molars. 



The Serotine Bat (F. serotinus).— Fur chestnut-brown above, yel- 

 lowish-grey beneath. Length of the head and budy 2% inches; ex- 



tent 12^, inches. The ears oval triangular; shorter than the head ; 

 tragus semicordate, little mure than one-third the length of the ear. 

 The Serotine frequents uninhabited houses, the roofs of churches, &c. 

 and sometimes hollow trees ; flies steadily and rather slow, and is 

 occasionally taken near London. 



In the second group, the tragus is relatively longer, thin, narrow, 

 and more or less pointed ; and there are six pairs of false molars to 

 each jaw. 



Mouse-coloured Bat {F. murinus). — The fur reddish-brown above, 

 dull white beneath. Length of the head and body 3Vi> inches ; spread 

 of wing 15 inches. Ears oval, broad at the base, becoming narrower 

 towards the apex, as long as the head ; tragus falciform, the inner 

 margin straight, not quite half the length of the ear. This Bat is very 

 common in France and Germany, but only one instance has been re- 

 corded of its occurrence in Britain. 



Bechstein's Bat {F. Bechsteinii). — Fur reddish-grey above, greyish- 

 white beneath. Dimensions, to the insertion of the tail, - 1 \ inches ; 

 11 inches across. Ears oval, rather longer than the head ; tragus 

 narrow, falciform, not half the length of the ear. The thumb longer 

 than in the others. A woodland species, found occasionally in the 

 New Forest, Hants. 



Fringe-tailed Bat ( F. Nnttereri). — Fur brown above, whitish 

 beneath. Length, to the tail, nearly 2 inches ; extent 11 inches. 

 Ears oblong-oval, about as long as the head ; tragus narrow-lanceo- 

 late, nearly two-thirds the length of the ear; interfemoral membrane 

 with tie margin crenate aud stiffly ciliated, from the end of the spur 

 or calcaneum to the tail. Has been met with in several parts of the 

 country. 



Notch-eared Bat (F. emnrginatus, Geof., not of Jenyns). — The fur 

 reddish-grey above, ash-coloured beneath. Length of the head and 

 body two inches ; extent 9 inches. The ears oblong, as long as the 

 head, with a notch and a small lobe on the outer margin ; tragus awl- 

 shaped, a little curved outward, more than half the length of the ear. 

 One was killed near Dover. 



Daubenton's Bat (F, Daubentovu, — emnrginatus of Jenyns). — Fur 

 soft, plentiful, brownish-black at the base ; the surface greyish-red 

 above, ash-grey beneath. Length of the head and body 2 inches ; 

 extent 9 inches. The ears oval, three-fourths the length of the head, 

 very slightly notched on the outer margin, with a fold on the inner 

 margin at the base ; tragus narrow-lanceolate, rather obtuse, bending 

 a little inward, half the length of the ear ; tail longer than the body. 

 Has been taken in several localities, and flies rapidly near the ground, 

 or over stagnant water. 



Whiskered Bat { F. my&tacinus) — Fur blackish-chestnut above, 

 dusky beneath ; the upper lip furnished with a moustache of long fine 

 hair. Length of the head and body 1% inch ; extents^ inches. Ears 

 oblong, bending outward, shorter than the head, notched on the outer 

 margin ; the tragus half the length of the ear, lanceolate, a little ex- 

 panded at the outer margin near the base. Has also occurred in 

 different parts of the country. 



The above characters are chiefly compiled from Bell's British Quad- 

 rupeds-, where figures and minute descriptions are given of each of 

 them, together with full-sized represen tat ions of their heads. It v ry 

 be remarked that only the last five are retained in Fespertilio by Mr. 

 Gray, the others being included in his Scotophilia, — Ed. 



