158 DTTBIIN NATIJEAL HISTOBT SOCIETY. 



The species has been satisfactorily identified, as I forwarded to Pro- 

 fessor Bell some of the specimens of the horse-shoe bat, taken by Mr. 

 Foot ; the following is his reply : — 



" New Broad-street^ Londony March 23, 1859. 

 '* My dear Sir, — I did not get your pretty little bat until this 

 morning. It is clearly Rh. hipposideros. You mention in your note 

 the existence of the transverse lines on the cars, but this is quite a differ- 

 ent character from the rugae which exist in Rh. ferrum-equinum, and 

 which appear as if the ears had been folded or plaited, and then flat- 

 tened again. There is no doubt of the essential distinction of the 

 species. 



" Faithfully yours, 



'' Thomas Bell." 



With regard to the latter part of it, I may remark, that the rugae 

 alluded to have totally disappeared in the dry specimens of Rh. hip- 

 posideros. 



The Clare specimens were also, through the kindness of the Di- 

 rector of our National Museum, Dr. Alexander Carte, carefully com • 

 pared by me with a fine specimen of the greater horse-shoe bat brought 

 from the Crimea by Assistant- Surgeon Carte, late 4th Dragoons, and by 

 him presented to the Museum. By means of this examination, I was 

 enabled to draw up the comparison of the two species given below. 

 The specimens were also carefully compared with the figures in the 

 "Fauna Italica" of Bonaparte, Bell's *' British Quadrupeds," &c., so 

 that no doubt could remain as to their identity with the Rh. hippo- 

 sideros of English authorities. 



Synopsis of Irish Species. 

 [The descriptions drawn from actual specimens. The dimensions are in inches and tenths.] 



LISSENCEPHALA— CHEIROPTERA— INSECTIYORID^. 



Family — RniNOLPniN^ (JSl Gray). 



Nose disk expanded into a leaf behind ; nostrils separated by a pit 

 or process ; tragus absent. 



Genus — Rhinolophus. 



Lesser Horse-shoe Bat, Rh. hipposideros, {Gm.), Rh. hihastatuSf 

 {Geoffr., Desmaresty &c.) 



Dentition : in. | ; can. f ; molars, J:f ; tot. -j-J. 



Nasal membrane double. Posterior, lanceolate, without basal 

 lateral expansion, densely hairy. Anterior dilated, sinuated at its 

 margin, covering entire nose. Ears distinctly notched externally at 

 base, and slightly notched at apex ; obsoletely plicate, plications dis- 

 appearing when dry. Fur, very long, soft, and silky ; back, grayish 

 brown ; roots of hair white, under parts light grapsh, almost white, 

 slightly darker at sides. 



