THE HORSESHOE BAT. 119 
creatures, and therefore the reason which was given for the reversed position of the bats 
will not apply to the birds. 
On the nose of the Vampire Bat may be observed a curious membrane of a leaf-like 
shape. This strange and not prepossessing appendage to the animal is found in some of 
the bats which inhabit our own country. Among the British bats which possess the leaf- 
decorated nose, the GREAT HorsEsHOE Bar is the most conspicuous. Only the head of 
this animal is given in the engraving, as in its wings 
and body it differs but very little from other British 
bats. 
The membrane which gives to this creature the 
title of Horseshoe Bat, is extremely large in proportion 
to the size of the animal, though not so large as in some 
of the foreign bats. It is double in form, that portion 
which is in front resembling a horseshoe in shape, and 
curving from the lips upwards, so as to embrace the 
nostrils. The second leafy membrane is placed on the 
forehead, and is sharply pointed. 
The ears of this bat are large, pointed, and marked 
with a succession of ridges, which extend from the 
margins nearly half-way across the ears. The “ tragus,” HEAD OF HORSESHOE Bar, 
: : . . : 7 . ay Rhindlophus Ferrum-equinum, 
or inner ear, is wanting in this bat, but its office seems 
to be fulfilled by a large rounded lobe at the base 
of the ear. 
The colour of the fur is grey with a slight tinge of red above, while on the under portions 
of the animal the ruddy tint vanishes, and the hair is of a very pale grey. The membrane 
is of a dusky hue. The bat is not a very large one, the length of the: head and body being 
only two inches and a half, while that of the extended wings is about thirteen inches. 
The ears are half an inch in breadth, when measured at their widest part, and are 
about three-quarters of an inch in le neth. 
What may be the object of the wonderful nasal appendage seems to be quite 
unknown. The most obvious idea is, that it is given to the animals for the purpose 
of increasing the delicacy of their sense of smell in seeking food and avoiding foes. 
But even if such be the case, there seems to be no apparent reason why such a privilege 
should be granted to one species and denied to another—both animals being in the 
habit of seeking their nutriment and escaping pursuit in a similar manner. The generic 
term, Rhinolophus, which is applied to these bats, is derived from two Greek words, the 
former signifying a nose, and the latter a crest. 
Another peculiarity of form which has been noticed in these animals, is the presence 
of two prominences on the groin, which have been taken for supplementary mami, and 
described as such. As, however, no mammary glands exist beneath these projections, 
they are evidently no true mamme, and probably belong only to the skin. 
The Great Horseshoe Bat seems to be less endurent of light than any of its British 
relatives, and takes up its abode in caverns so dark and gloomy that no other species 
of bat will bear it company. This instinct of concealment “induces the bat to leave its 
home at a later and to return at an earlier hour than the other bats, and consequently 
it has only recently been found to exist in England. The first specimen which was 
captured had tixed its abode in rather a precarious situation, and was found in a building 
belonging to the Dartmouth powder mills. Since that time it has been discovered in 
many “places, but always in some dark and retired situation. 
There is another similar animal found in England, called the Lesser Horseshoe Bat 
(Rhinblophus Hipposidéros). This ereature was for some time thought to be the young 
of the last mentioned animal, but is now known to be a distinct species. The name 
Hipposideros is Greek, and in that language signifies the same as Ferrum-equinum in 
Latin, ze. Horseshoe. 
The bats which we shall now examine are devoid of that strange nasal leafage which 
gives so unique an aspect to its wearer. The BARBASTELLE does not seem to be very 
