242 The Irish Naturalist. December, 



are strikingly at variance with the results of our own personal 

 investigations. For instance, Lydekker (" Handbook ol British 

 Mammals," pp. 23-24) begins his account of the habits of this 

 bat by stating, that it is " essentially an inhabitant of the open 

 country, and not resorting to the neighbourhood of trees and 

 plantations." From all that we have been able to ascertain 

 by frequently watching this species on the wing in Ireland, 

 we are obliged to adopt the diametrically opposite conclusion 

 from Mr. Lydekker' s — namely, that the Long-eared Bat is a 

 peculiarly arboreal species, and one which, when flying, 

 practically escapes the notice of observers, because the foliage 

 of the trees amid which it seeks its prey effectually screens it 

 from view. 



In some of its favourite haunts at Ballyhyland it can be seen 

 among Ash-trees every evening from June to September, and 

 the observations dealing with its habits of flight contained in 

 the present article are based on what has been noted in that 

 locality. 



To observe this bat on the wing, it is a good plan to wait at 

 dusk under some tree whose foliage is not too dense to be seen 

 through — an Ash is probably the best that can be selected — 

 and watch for its appearance amongst the branches overhead- 

 From about thirty-two or thirty-five minutes after sunset, its 

 figure may, almost any summer evening, be thus detected 

 against the sky, gliding and hovering in a stealthy manner 

 among the outer sprays of the tree. It threads its way with 

 a beautiful facility among the twigs and leaves, often seeming 

 rather to swim than to fly, so slight is the visible movement 

 of the wings. Poising, at times, like a humming-bird, it appears 

 to be picking something from the leaves ; at other times it 

 suddenly plunges into the middle of a spray, and remains for 

 several seconds clinging to the twigs, no doubt securing or 

 eating some insect. It is not uncommon to see one Ash-tree 

 occupied at the same moment by five or six of these bats — 

 though each comes and departs by itself — all gliding in the 

 same noiseless and lemurine fashion among the leaves, and 

 all, to the casual by stander, practically invisible. The long 

 ears are often thrown forward so as to resemble a proboscis, 

 and may be distinctly seen if the observer is posted im- 

 mediately below the bat. 



