DVBUV NATUBAL HISTORY 80CIETT. 67 



Hanghton, Esq., Levitstown, by whom they were shot on the Rirer Barrow, on 

 the 22nd of Juno; they were handed to me, with the remark that they appeared 

 to him lighter in colour than the bats he was accustomed to see about the place. 

 On examination it was soon evident what they were ; and having learned from 

 Mr. Haughton that he thought they had their nest in Tankardstown Bridge, aa 

 be had himself counted thirtv-five and upwards flying out of a hole in it, and had 

 been credibly informed that fifty-three were seen, I determined to examine the 

 locality. The place pointed out was a set of small holes in one of the triangular 

 abutments of the bridge, situated about four feet from the water at its ordmary 

 height, and evidently containing a large colony, as the stones around its edge 

 were polished and shining with the feet of the little animals running over them. 

 On poking a switch into one of the holes, a loud chirping and clicking was im- 

 mediately set up ; but as nothing could be done, on account of the earliness of 

 the hour, we let them alone till evening, when, armed with a gauze butterfly net 

 and an ordinary landing net, we again rowed to the place, where a loud chirping, 

 squeaking, and clicking announced that our little friends were already on the 

 alert — this was 8.30 p.m. ; it was, however, 9.30 before they made their appearance, 

 though all this time a great scrambling and scuffling was audible from the hole. 

 This evening we captured three, and counted (including captives) forty-one bats 

 coming out, between 9.30 and 10.30, and when we left, there seemed as many 

 more in the hole, — at least the chirping and scrambling was as loud as ever. On 

 arriving at home we examined our captives, which turned out to be, two full- 

 grown female specimens of Daubenton's Bat and one female Pipistrelle (S. Pipis- 

 trellus). The next night we proceeded again to the hole, and the bats began to 

 fly precisely to the minute at 9.30. We remarked, however, several bats coming 

 up the river half an hour earlier, either from Levitstown mills, or from an old 

 church which here overhangs the river. The evening was dark and cloudy, and the 

 night growing gradually more tempestuous. Natterer's bats began to return to 

 their nests at 10 p.m., flying about our heads, and almost mobbing us. The following 

 day was wet and stormy, and, though the evening cleared up, yet it continued so 

 cold that only one bat came out, and one stranger was seen on the river, and when 

 we left them, at 10.30, all was quiet in the hole. The next day we did not disturb 

 them at all. The 27th was a wet day ; it cleared up in the evening ; though still 

 cold, seventeen bats came out ; they had, however, grown very wary and learned 

 to dodge the net, and would not come out unless all was quiet ; they also first took 

 a peep out to see that all was clear, running back if the net was not held per- 

 fectly steady. So acute was their hearing, that every time the gunwale of the 

 boat touched the pier of the bridge, no matter how gently, there was a loud cry 

 of alarm from the hole, which 1 did not hear except then ; and whenever a bat 

 ran back from the net after this cry, all would grow quiet again for about five 

 minutes, and then the scuffling, scrambling, and squealing would begin again, 

 and in a few moments they would begin to come out. It was perfectly possible 

 to distinguish the two, both on the wing and when coming out of the hole — V. 

 Daubentonii coming to its mouth, and thence flying straight out; whilst the Pi- 

 pistrelle crept to the edge of the pier, and, letting himself fall from thence, flew 

 off. This, added to the latter's being more wary and active in dodging the net, 

 rendered him more diflicult to capture, and to retain when captured, as out of 

 three, supposed to be of this species, captured, I was only able to retain one. 

 V. Daubentonii does not fly as rapidly nor make such quick turns as the Pipis- 

 trelle, and when struck into the water, floundered in it so as to enable me to 

 catch him, while the Pipistrelle, under similar circumstances, just touched it and 

 was off. The cry of the Pipistrelle is much shriller than that of the other. 

 There was also an unmistakably fetid odour from the Pipistrelle, which I did 

 not remark from Danbenton's bat. 1 would say that of the bats counted eadi 

 night the following were the proportions : — 



June 23rd, Daubenton's bat, twenty-seven; Pipistrelle, fourteen. 24th, 

 Daubenton's bat, twenty ; Pipistrelle, nine. 2jth, Daubenton's bat, one. 27th, 

 Daubenton's bat, eleven ; Pipistrelle, six. So that Daubenton's bat appears to bo 



