1897.] ]xw^SO^.— 'The Bafs of Ireland. 35 



I shall not say anything about methods of capture and 

 preservation, as I have already alluded to the most successful 

 in a previous paper."* 



It is to be regretted that the scanty information at hand 

 permits of but little generalizing with regard to questions of 

 distribution ; such data as I am able to put before the readers 

 of the Irish Naturalist in these pages suggest that the three 

 species of Vespertilio which have hitherto been regarded as 

 extremely limited in their range, may be widely if not generally 

 distributed ; as is the case with the better known species of 

 mammals, except where locally exterminated by man. 



But what is likely to be the range of the Lesser Horse-shoe 

 Bat? At present only recorded from Galway and Clare, it 

 may possibly prove to have a limited range, and so form a 

 marked exception to what seems to be the rule for Irish 

 mammals generally. Further explorations alone can settle 

 this question, as also whether or not Vesperugo Leisleri, now 

 known to be fairly widely distributed in the North and East, 

 and as far south as Cos. Wicklow and Kildare, occurs in the 

 South and West. 



But a perusal of this paper will make it evident that we are 

 far from having complete records of the range of even the 

 Pipistrelle and Long-eared Bats, and I can only express once 

 more the hope that this very incomplete list will call forth 

 some of the data, published or unpublished, that may have 

 escaped me. 



I must take this opportunity of expressing my gratitude to 

 the many kind friends from whom I have received specimens 

 and records, and particularly to Rev. D. C. Abbott, Mr. G. E- 

 H. Barrett-Hamilton (for many notes collected by himself and 

 his correspondents), Mr. R. M. Barrington (for records from 

 lyight Stations on the Irish Coast), Mr. C. Black, Mrs. Dunster- 

 ville, Rev. R. M. P. Freeman, Mr. W. Garstin, Mr. W. F. 

 De V. Kane, Miss Kelsall, Rev. A. Knight, Dr. W. R. 

 MacDermott, Rev. F. W. Moeran, Mr. E. Porter, Dr. R. F. 

 Scharff, Mr. R. J. Ussher, Mr. R. Warren, and others. 



Seven species of bats are known to inhabit Ireland, six of 

 which belong to the family Vespertilionidce, represented by 



...» I .1 !■ — II I ■ ■ ■ I ■■ — - I -■■■■- I. ■ I .1 ■ . - I . , I M M ■« ^ 1, _ ■■ _ | > I . I I . .. 



' Jrish Nat., 1S94, p. 69. 



