ai2 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY. 



Genus Eptesicus* Rafinesque, Annals of Nature, Phila., 1820, p. 2. 



Northeastern Large Brown Bat; House Bat. Eptesicus fuscus 

 (Beauvois). 



1796. Vespertilio fuscus Beauvois, Catalogue Peak's Museum, Phila., p. 14. 



1900. Eptesicus fuscus Mehely, Magyarorszag Denevereinek Mono- 

 graphiaja, p. 208. 



Type locality. — Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 



Faunal distribution. — Canadian (lower), transition and austral life zones; 

 Maine to Washington, south to Florida and the mountains of California. 



Distribution in Pa. and N. J. — With the possible exception of certain 

 boreal tracts on^he culminating ridges of the Alleghanies in Pa. the range of 

 this abundant and familiar bat is universal in the two states. 



Habits, etc. — Among American bats this species may be said to correspond 

 in its fondness for the homes of man to the mouse and rat, or to the robin 

 and the wren among birds. During summer they are as likely to hang up 

 for day dreams behind an unused shutter or door, or crack in the wall, or 

 shady porch or outhouse, as anywhere else. At night they incessantly circle 

 about the house and lawn and street lamps until some fleeing insect suddenly 

 leads one into the kitchen or the bedchamber and, ten-to-one, a panic ensues, 

 resulting in no small noise, destruction of furniture and the miserable death 

 of the innocent, harmless and useful bat. Such an occurrence as this, related 

 by Audubon, happened in his Kentucky home in 181 8 in the bed room 

 occupied by the traveler Rafinesque. It resulted in the destruction of a 

 favorite violin, etc., and so far as we are able to follow the sequel, in the im- 

 mortality of the bat as " Eptesicus melanops Raf.," which, being interpreted, 

 is no less than a synonym oi Eptesicus fuscus (Beauvois), the subject of this 

 article. It is interesting to note that Rafinesque, in describing the genus 

 Eptesicus, says, "The name means house flyer ;" and of the species melanops 

 he says, " It comes often in the house at night ; " recording in this way the 

 indelible impressions of his midnight battle two years before. This bat is 

 accused of bringing bed-bugs and other insect vermin into houses. I have 

 never found any vermin on them except lice of a species not parasitic on 

 man. The dirt, caused by their congregation in attics, would attract and 

 harbor vermin, however. 



Description of species. — On account of its size, being much the largest of 

 that color in the east, our big brown bat may be separated from other eastern 

 species solely on this basis. It is a large edition of two small brown species 

 belonging to the genus Myotis previously considered. Generically it is dis- 



* Mr. Miller informs me that Eptesicus is not generically separable from Vespertilio, in this 

 agreeing with Dr. Oldfield Thomas. 



