1922. Moffat. — The Habits of the Long-eared Bat. 109 



That the winter sleep of the Long-eared Bat is frequently 

 interrupted has been proved by many observers, and 

 particulars of one individual's repeated changes of residence 

 during the winter months were given by Dr. Alcock and 

 myself in the article already referred to. ^ I therefore 

 think it well to give here an instance to the contrary, which 

 one of the bats of the congregation now under notice w^as 

 good enough to offer me in the winter of 1918-9. It very 

 kindh' chose for its place of hibernation a corner of the 

 same passage that had formed the nocturnal resting-place 

 of the crowd in summer. I thus had it in full view every 

 day and night from the beginning to the end of its occupancy. 

 During the first fortnight of December, being still only in 

 the incipient stage of its hibernation, it used to fly for 

 short periods (sometimes two or three hours) on warm 

 evenings ; but from December 15th to March 26th it never 

 once moved, although there were several nights when the 

 temperature in the open was as high as 48^, and one 

 (December 28th) when it stood at 50^^. This bat, therefore, 

 enjoyed an uninterrupted winter-sleep of loi days. 



During summer, as might be expected, the floor of the 

 passage was strewn with large numbers of wings of the 

 various moths on which the bats had been feeding. A 

 list of these would not add much to our knowledge of the 

 Long-eared Bat's taste in edibles. I was indebted, however, 

 to the animals for the welcome information that the Copper 

 Underwing Moth (Amphipyra pyramidea) — not hitherto, so 

 far as I know, recorded for Co. Wexford — occurs at Bally- 

 hyland, since its ^\dngs were dropped on several occasions. 

 Other interesting moths brought in were the Peach-blossom 

 [Thyatira baits) and its congener T. derasa, the Burnished 

 Brass (Plusia chrysitis), the Tiger ]\Ioth (Arctia caia), whose 

 brilHant colours do not appear to possess a warning value, 

 and the Shark Moth {Cucullia umbratica), w^hich interested 

 me from the fact that the bats seemed never to bring it in 

 in the earlier half of the night, as I frequently searched 

 the floor after midnight without ever finding this species, 



^ lyiah Nat. vol. x., pp. 245-7. 



