56 ANIMAL LIFE IX THE YOSEMITE 



zones, the Canadian and Hudsonian. Vogelsang Lake, altitnde 10,350 feet, 

 where we obtained specimens, is next to the highest recorded station of 

 occurrence for any bat in the United States. 



Small bats, presumably of the present species, were observed occasionally 

 about our camps at Tuolumne Meadows in July ; but they came out so late 

 that it did not prove possible to shoot specimens. But at Merced and 

 Vogelsang lakes, in late August, three individuals were secured. 



At Vogelsang Lake the bats were seen close over the water, but whether 

 they came to drink or to capture the little insects seen 'spinning' on the 

 surface of the lake could not be learned definitely. The continued skim- 

 ming of the bats over the water suggested that they were actually gathering 

 insects. 



On August 19 and 30, 1915, pairs of bats were seen with one individual 

 in rapid pursuit of another. In one instance the pursued individual was 

 shot and was found to be a female. The actual mating of bats is believed, 

 on fairly good evidence, to occur in the fall ; but the young do not develop 

 until spring. These pursuits may therefore have been of females by males. 

 Between August 19 and September 6, in 1915, the High Sierra Bats made 

 their first appearance from 6:58 to 7:10, on different evenings, the earliest 

 appearance being on a quiet sultry evening. 



Long-legged Bat. Myotis longicrus longicrus (True) 



Field characters. — Size medium (noticeably larger than Little California Bat, smaller 

 than Large Brown Bat) ; total length 3l^-4 inches (90-102 mm.), lower leg (tibia) 

 % inch (18 mm.), hind foot % inch (8 mm.), ear % inch (9-11 mm.). Coloration 

 brown. 



Occurrence. — In Transition Zone on west slope of Sierra Nevada, where recorded 

 definitely at Dudley, 6 miles east of Conlterville. Also taken once at Walker Lake, on 

 east slope. Forages chiefly about trees at 6 to 25 feet from ground, occasionally higher. 



The Long-legged Bat is a species of medium size which is likely to be 

 observed flitting across the spaces between trees in the yellow pine forest 

 of the Transition Zone. Our own definite records of the species are con- 

 fined to two localities; but further work between altitudes of 3000 and 

 5000 feet on the west slope of the Sierras would doubtless show it to be of 

 general occurrence there. 



At Dudley, 6 miles east of Coulterville, three specimens were taken 

 on the evenings of July 13 and 16 and August 1, 1920, respectively, as 

 they alighted on the vertical boards beneath the gable of a barn. It was 

 found that the bats sought this perching place repeatedly in order to devour 

 at leisure the insect prey which they had captured while in flight. This 

 habit of perching to eat, though it is a well-known trait of the Pallid Bat, 

 does not seem to have been recorded hitherto for the present species. Other 



