VESPERTILIO PIPISTRELLUS. 15 



Vespertilio Pipistrellus. 



Vcsjicrtilio Pipistrellus, Desm. Mamin. Sp. 209 ; Bell, Brit. Quad. ; 



Temm. Monog. vol. ii. p. 194. 

 Common Bat of the Bi-itish Islands. 



Description. — Much resembles V, Noctiila, but smaller. 

 False molars 2—2 5 bead depressed in front, convex behind ; 

 muzzle short in adults, somewhat longer in the young ; 

 nose blunt, and slightly emarginate between the nostrils, 

 a swelling upon the upper lip on each side ; eyes very 

 small, above each a wart, with a few black hairs ; ears 

 broad, oval-triangular, rather more than half as long as 

 the head, with their outer margins deeply notched half- 

 way down ; tragus half the length of the ear, nearly 

 straight, oblong, with a rounded head ; tail as long as the 

 fore -arm. Fm* rather long and silky, yellowish red on the 

 forehead and base of the ears ; upper parts reddish brown, 

 with the lower half of each hair dusky ; under parts wholly 

 dusky, except the tips of the hairs, which are hke those of 

 the upper parts, but rather paler : the young are bro^Tiish 

 grey or black, without any tinge of red ; nose, ears, lips, 

 and membranes dusky. 



Length of head and body, 1 inch 7 lines ; head, 6 lines ; 

 tail, 1 inch 2 lines ; ears, 4 lines ; tragus, 2 hues ; breadth 

 of ears, 3 lines ; of tragus, -Jths of a line ; length of fore- 

 arm, 1 inch 2 lines ; thumb, 1|- line ; extent of wing, 8 

 inches 4 lines. 



Collects in large numbers in old walls and under roofs ; 

 is first seen in the beginning of March in England, where, 

 as in the British Islands generally, it is the commonest 

 species. Is also frequently met with in France and Bel- 

 gium. Is not found in Italy, according to the Prince of 

 Musignano, who says that it is represented there by the 

 V. Vispistrellus, a very closely aUied species. Desmarest, 



