100 VESPERTILIONID^— PIPISTRELLUS 



invariably able to recognise them. In the hand, the smaller 

 size, darker colour, the absence of the peculiar smell, and 

 especially the markedly smaller feet, cannot fail to form an 

 infallible criterion as between even the very youngest Noctules 

 and the present species. 



Genus PIPISTRELLUS. 



1829. PIPISTRELLUS, Jakob Kaup, System der Europdischen Thierwelt, i., 98 ; based 

 on Vespertilio pipistrellus of Schreber. 



1838. ROMICIA, J. E. Gray, Mag. Zool. and Bot., 495 ; based on R. calcarata of Gray 

 ^P. kuhlii (Natterer). 



1839. Vesperugo, a. Graf von Keyserling and J. H. Blasius, Wiegmann's Archiv 

 fiir Naturgeschichte, i., 312 (part) ; based on Vespertilio serotinus of Schreber and 



eleven other species (see under Nyctalus). 



1840. ROMICIUS, Edward Blyth, C\iv'\&x^s Animal Kingdom, 75 ; misprint for ROMICIA. 

 1856. Hypsugo, F. a. Kolenati, Allgemeine deiitsche Naiurhist. Zeitung (Dresden), 



Neue Folge, ii., 131, 167-169 ; based on Vesperugo maurus of Blasius, and V. 



krascheninikowii of Eversmann. 

 1856. Nannugo, F. a. Kolenati, op. cit, 131, 169-171 ; based on Vesperugo nathusii 



of Keyserling and Blasius, Vespertilio pipistrellus of Daubenton, and V. kuhlii of 



Natterer. 

 1878. Vesperugo, G. E. Dobson, Catalogue of the Chiroptera in the Collection of 



the British Museum, 183 (part); included also Nyctalus, Vespertilio, and 



others. 

 1893. Vesperugo, Harrison Allen, Bull. U.S. National Museum, 43, 121. 



Classification and synonymy : — The explanation of the use 

 of the genus Nyctahis applies also to Pipistrellus, which 

 presents no further difficulties. 



In characters, the bats of this genus differ from those of the 

 preceding in their smaller size, lighter build, and shorter, broader 

 wing (Plate VII., Fig. 2, p. 86), attached to the base of the outer 

 toe, not to the middle of the sole. The third and fifth metacarpals 

 are about of equal length, and the tail is usually about as long 

 as the body without the head. The tragus lacks the prominent 

 rounded head, being broadest below its centre, and narrowed, 

 not expanded, above (Fig. 2, No. 3, p. 7). The foot is small. 



The skull (Fig. 8, No. i), as exemplified by that of 

 P. ptpistrelhis, is small, weak, and rounded ; the facial 

 region is saddle-shaped, namely, concave posteriorly, convex 

 anteriorly; the premaxillary gap is moderately marked; the 

 zygomata are weak ; cranial crests are absent or hardly 



