AMERICAN BATS — ^HANDLE Y 127 



although Hardy (1941, p. 293) referred to the use of the name "pinto" 

 bat in Utah, and Vorhies (1935, p. 225) reported that Mexicans knew 

 it as "pinto" bat in Sonora. Nevadan ranchers likened its ears to 

 those of a jackass (Miller, 1897, p. 49) and Grinnell (1910, p. 318) 

 likened its dorsal color pattern to a "death's-head." Two boys who 

 discovered one on the side of a brush house mistook it, at first glance, 

 for a 3''oung rabbit (Vorhies, 1935, p. 225), while a boy who saw one 

 crawling on the ground first thought it was a tarantula spider (Parker, 

 1952, p. 480). People who saw one with its ears folded back thought 

 it was "some sort of horned beast" (Parker, 1952, p. 480). 



Specimens examined: Five, from the following U.S. localities: 



New Mexico: Dona Ana County: Mesilla Park, la (USNM). Arizona: 

 Yuma County: 9 miles east of Roll, Is (USNM); 4 miles south of Yuma, Is 

 (MCZ). California: Los Angeles County: Mouth of Castac Creek, 8 miles east 

 of Piru, Is (AMNH). Utah: Salt Lake County: Salt Lake City, Is (UU). 



Additional records (asterisk indicates specimen preserved in a 

 museum) : 



MEXICO: Sonora: Near Magdalena (Vorhies, 1935, p. 225). 



UNITED STATES: Arizona: Maricopa County: Tempe* (Stager, 1957, p. 

 260). California: Kern County: Red Rock Canyon*, 30-40 miles north of 

 Mohave (Hall, 1939, p. 103). Mariposa County: Yosemite National Park*, 

 Yosemite Valley, 4,045 feet, 2 specimens (Ashcraft, 1932, p. 162; Parker, 1952, p. 

 480). Riverside County: Mecca*, 189 feet below sea level (J. Grinnell, 1910, 

 p. 317). San Bernardino County: China Lake*, 4 miles south of Inyo County line 

 (Stager, 1957, p. 260) ; Granite Wells, near Pilot Knob, Barstow area (Parker, 

 1952, p. 481); Twentynine Palms* (Benson, 1954, p. 117). Nevada: Clark 

 County: Vegas Ranch, Vegas Valley (Miller, 1897, p. 49). Esmeralda County: 

 Fish Lake Valley (Hall, 1946, p. 158). Washoe County: Reno* (Hall, 1935, p. 

 148). Utah: Garfield County: Hatch (Hardy, 1941, p. 293). Kane County: 

 Crocodile Cave, 4 miles north of Kanab (Hardy, 1941, p. 293). San Juan County: 

 5 miles northwest of Monticello* (Benson, 1954, p. 117). Idaho: Canyon County: 

 15 miles southwest of Caldwell* (Tucker, 1957, p. 406). Montana: Yellowstone 

 County: Billings* (Nicholson, 1950, p. 197). 



Genus Plecotus E. Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire 



The synonymy is given under the subgenera. 



Type species: Vespertilio auritus Linnaeus. 



Distribution: Temperate parts of North America, Eurasia, and 

 northern Africa (Palaearctic and Nearctic regions) (fig. 11). 



Description: Supraorbital region sharply ridged or smoothly 

 rounded (fig. 4); temporal ridges remain apart or coalesce to form 

 sagittal crest; brain case relatively short; zygoma relatively heavy or 

 light, with postorbital expansion in middle or posterior third of arch; 

 median postpalatal process absent or a spine-like prominence; auditory 

 bulla rouglily circular in outline; presternum wider than long. 



49725&— 59 3 



