VESPERTILIO 



239 



} 



188G. Vesperus siculus Daday, Verhandl. u. Mittheilungen des Siebenbiirg- 

 ischen Vereinsfiir Naturwissensch. in Hermauustadt, xxxvi, p. 82. 



1897. Vcs2)crtilio murinus Miller, Ann. aud Mag. Nat. Hist., 6th ser., xx, 

 p. 382, October, 1897. 



1910. Eptesicus siculus and Vcspertilio murinus Trouessart, Paune INIamm. 

 d'Europe, pp. 23 and 25. 



Type locality. — XJpsala, Sweden. 



Oeographical distribution. — Northern and central Europe, 

 from southern Norway and central Sweden south to the Alps. 

 One record of its occurrence in England.* 



Diagnosis. — General characters as in the genus ; length of 

 forearm about 43 to 45 mm. 



External characters. — General appearance much as in Eptesicus 

 nilssonii but slightly larger and more robust. Ear extending 

 nearly to nostril when laid forward, its width when flattened 

 about li times height from crown ; anterior basal lobe so much 

 reduced as to suggest the keel of the Molossidse, the anterior 

 border of conch nearly straight from forehead to broadly rounded 

 tip ; posterior border shallow ly sinuous-concave from just below 

 tip nearly to level of meatus ; here it turns forward almost at 

 right angles and extends nearly to angle of mouth, where it 

 terminates at a well developed wart, the terminal portion often 

 forming a slight fold or pocket ; antitragus low and keel-hke, 

 nearly 2 mm. from margin of conch ; inner surface of conch 

 slightly papillose, without evident cross ridges ; tragus low, 

 scarcely rising above level of outer angle of anterior lobe, its 

 greatest width (slightly above middle) nearly equal to length of 

 straight or slightly concave anterior border, its tip broadly 

 rounded, the convexity continuous behind with that of upper 

 portion of posterior border ; posterior basal lobe obsolete. Wing 

 rather narrow, the fifth finger exceeding forearm by one-sixth to 

 one-fifth length of forearm, the membranes thin, extending to 

 base of outer toe ; third and fourth metacarpals sub-equal, nearly 

 5 mm. shorter than forearm, fifth about 3 mm. shorter than 

 third. Leg rather robust ; foot about half as long as tibia ; 

 calcar slightly longer than tibia and free border of uropatagium, 

 its keel ill defined, its termination obscure. Tail extending to 

 between shoulders when laid forward, the last vertebra free. 



Fur and colour. — The fur is rather short and dense, less silky 

 than that of Eptesicus nilssonii, the hairs at middle of back about 

 7 mm. in length. In distribution it shows no special peculiarities ; 

 upper surface of interfemoral membrane furred on basal third. 

 Colour above essentially as in Eptesicus 7iilssonii, but liglit tips to 

 hairs very pale, almost whitish crcam-bufl", producing a decidedly 

 " frosted " appearance ; underparts creain-buft", the dusky under 

 colour showing through on chest and anterior portion of belly ; 

 line of demarcation on sides of neck sharply defined ; muzzle and 

 chin dusky ; ears and membranes blackish. 



* A single specimen, undoubtedly a straggler, taken at Plymouth. 



