238 MAMMALS. 



tional between the Leaf-bcarcrs aud the true Vespertilios. One of these Noctilios (N. leporinus) 

 fills the anomalous position of a fishing Bat. Mr. Fraser, who observed its peculiar habit in its 

 native country (Ecuador), describes it as skimming along the bank of the river, every now and 

 then making a dash at, and, actually strildng the water, catching the minute shrimp)s as they pass up 

 stream, and adds that it had a very fishy smell.* Dr. Shortt has subsequently recorded similar fishing 

 propensities of the Pteropus of India — the prey there being small fishes. f 



The statement occurs quoted by Mr. Tomes, in an account which he gives of the mammals collected 

 by Mr. Fraser at Ecuador, and it suggests the following reflection to him : " From the great 

 resemblance which exists between the fur of the New Zealand mystacina, and that of the Water 

 Shrews, and, indeed, that of other mammalia with similar aquatic habits, I had long ago been led to 

 suspect that that Bat might be aquatic in its mode of life, but I coidd never gather direct evidence on 

 the subject. Certainly I never suspected that this Noctilio took its food in the manner noticed by Mr. 

 Fraser." The identity of the structure of the hair of the V. mystacina with that of the Shrews 

 is to my mind evidence not of a similar teleological purpose, but of a common descent. The same 

 peculiar structure of hair occurs inter alia in the Moles, the House a^d other Mice, the Shrews, and 

 some Bats ; and as the structure is very peculiar and not found in other famiKes, the circumstance 

 certainly seems suggestive of a common origin. I am one of those who think there is no evidence 

 equal to circumstantial evidence. And if I were a hanging man, to borrow the phraseology of the 

 betting ring, (which I am not — not from any soft-hearted, humanitarian weakness, but solely on 

 principles of economy — thinking as I do that I could put the hangee to a better use) ; but if I tccre 

 a hanging man, I woidd hang a man without remorse on circumstantial evidence, where I would 

 not touch a hair- of his head on dii-ect testimony. An identity of structure between the hair of a Bat 

 aud that of these other animals is cii'cunistantial e^ddence of a strong kind ; for it is in trifling 

 matters of an unlooked-for kind, that circmnstantial evidence is most pregnant in its bearing. The 

 reader will remember that the hair of the difierent orders of animals differs materially in its micro- 

 scopic appearance and structure. J 



To this group belong the great majority of our English and Eurojiean Bats. It is divided 

 into two large sections, the Scotophili and the Vespektilioxes, — both tolerably well marked. 

 The distinction between these is chiefly in the wing-membranes, and the thickness of the ear; and, 

 although difiicult to describe, is easily recognised when once pointed out. The difierence extends to 

 their facial expression. As Mr. AUen describes it,§ the diflerence may be compared to that between a 

 mastifi" aud a terrier dog. The former (the Scotophili) massive, with broad head, joendular lips, and 

 wide ears ; the latter more slender, with a narrower face, and delicate, upright ears. A very large 

 number of species, however, stand in scientific works mider the genus Vespertilio, which cannot be 

 satisfactorily allotted to the one or the other, for want of suflScient information. In the list which 

 I have given in the Appendix, such species are included imder Vespertilio as the more general head. 



The PipistreUe and the V. noctula, perhaps our best known European Bats, occur all over 

 Europe north of North Italy, and over North Asia, north of the Ca.spian, from Sweden to Spain and 

 Greece, and from Eussia to Japan. It is recorded as fomid fossil in a bone-cave at Antibes, near 

 Nice. The Barbastelle has only been found beyond Europe in the Himmalayah. The Plecotus 



* Tomes, "Proceedings Zoological Society," 1R60. scopic character of Hair, in "Proc. Liter, and Philos. 



t Shoktt, in " Proc. Zool. Soc.," 1SG3, p. 4.38. Soc. of Liverpool," No. vii. 1854, ^. 83. 



X See Inman, Dr. T., On the Natural History aud Micro- § Allen, D. H, op. cit. p. 27. 



