88 ZOOLOGY. 



Vespertilio blossevillii, LESS, et GAKN., Bull. Sc. Nat., viii, 95. 



Vespertilio bonariemis, LESS., Voy. Coq., 1829, p. . 



Ni/ctic,ejun varius, POEPPIG, Reise Chili, i, 1835, 451. 



Red Bat, WILSON. 



New York Bat, PENNANT. 



CHAK. Teeth, 32 (molars, f); anterior upper premolar minute, hidden from view 

 externally, being wedged in between the next premolar and canine; upper incisors 

 small, strongly convergent ; lower ones crowded ; lower canines pointing backward; 

 front and next under premolars distinct. Skull small, with, broad cranial and high 

 occipital regions. Tail entirely included in femoral membrane. Head and face hairy ; 

 nose blunt, rounded, slightly emarginate, with sernilateral nostrils. Ears subcircular; 

 inner border straight to near the top, where suddenly curved, its base with a strong- 

 lobe close to but behind the tragus; outer border with a sharp lobe reaching angle of 

 mouth ; a small, bristly wart interposed ; tragus half as high as auricle, straight on 

 inner border, but end obtuse and abruptly turned ; back surface of auricle furred half 

 way up. Wings extensively furry here and there the general fur extending upon 

 the membranes on either side to the base of the third finger; a sparse growtli on the 

 interbrachial portion ; a conspicuous white or whitish tuft at the shoulder; a scattering 

 growth on the back of the fifth finger for about a third of its length, sometimes extend- 

 ing between the fourth and fifth fingers ; and a whitish tuft at the base of the thumb. 

 Upper surface of femoral membrane completely and densely furry, like the back ; under 

 surface of same furred about half way out from the pubis. Fur everywhere long and 

 silky ; each hair at base dark plumbeous, verging to black, then yellowish-brown, 

 passing into a darker or a brighter reddish, or even chocolate, generally white at the 

 tip. Lips and ears not edged with black. Length about 3;|, of which tail is l|-2 ; ex- 

 tent, lOi-12; arm, Ig; shin, f ; longest finger, 3; ear, -J high. 



HAB. Abundantly and universally distributed throughout the temperate portions 

 of North America. 



This pretty species will be immediately recognized from any excepting 

 the next by its " redness", together with the dense furriness of the top of 

 the leg-membrane and extensive patches of fur on the wings. Specimens, 

 however, vary much in color, as has been noted by Dr. Allen, and more 

 completely described by Mr. Allen, who has found that some sexual dis- 

 tinctions are usually pronounced. " In some specimens, the terminal band 

 (on individual hairs) of whitish is quite absent, particularly on the anterior 

 part of the body ; the subterminal bright red zone being thus continuous to 

 the tips of the hairs. In other specimens, the terminal band of white is 

 developed to a great degree, so as to very much obscure the red or dark 

 chocolate zone beneath. Such specimens strongly approximate to what is 

 c.-illi'd the Hoary Bat, where the terminal white zone readies its maximum 

 of development, and llu; subtennimil russet zone its greatest intensity. In 



