83 



There are other animals which partake in some degree of the power of 

 flight amongst soaie of the orders of mammalia ; thus the Pteromys or flying 

 Squirrel is a Kodent having an expansion- of the skin between its fore and hind 

 liegs which serves as a sort of wing, and enables them to take immense bounds 

 from tree to tree. Among the Marsupial animals another example of this kind 

 is found iu the Petaurista. 



These animals however both clearly belong to different orders, and their 

 approach to the conformation of Bats is only an external resemblance in order 

 to allow them better to pursue their habits of life. 



Of Bats, there are two kinds — frugivorous (fruit-eating) and insectivorous 

 (insect-eating). The former of these kinds are the largest Bats, but none live 

 in England ; British Bats being all insect-eaters. 



Tue number of species of British Bats is very variously given by different 

 naturalists, and there is little doubt the same species has often received 

 different names. 



Of British Bats, there are two kinds — those that have a leaf -like 

 appendage to their no»e, and those that have none. Of the first kind, only 

 one genus is known, which is called the Horse-shoe Bat. This Bat has a 

 peculiar foliaceous membrane above its nostrils, which is thought to bear some 

 resemblance to a horse-shoe. This Bat is about the size of the common Bat, 

 but of rather darker colour. 



Of those Bats without a nose appendage, there are about six tolerably 

 well-known sorts. These are all species of the Genus Vespertilio, and are 

 named as under : — 



1. Pipistrelle, or Common Bat... Vespertilio Pipigtrella. 



2. Noctule, or Great Bat ,, Noctitia. 



3. Long-eared Bat ,, Auritus. 



4. Serotine Bat „ Serotinus. 



5. Mouse-coloured Bat ,, Murmiis. 



6. Barbastelle ,, Barbastella. 



Of these No. 1, the Pipistrelle, is the most common, and may be seen 

 any evening flitting about ; it is about two inches long, and its expanded wings 

 measure about eight inches. Its colour is reddish brown. 



The Long Eared Bat is also pretty common, and is at once recognised bjr 

 the great length of its ears, which are half as long as its body. 



The largest British species is the Noctule, which measures three inches 

 in length, and the expansion of its wings is 14 or 15 inches. 



I will conclude this abstract by a few very brief remarks on the habits, 

 &c., of Bats. 



The food of Bats consists of nocturnal insects, moths, &c., and Bats seem 

 to play the same part in the animal economy at night as swallows do in the 

 day ; Bats will also eat meat. 



Bats live in roofs of old buildings and holes in trees and other out-of- 

 the-way corners, and only emerge after dark. There are great peculiarities in 



