i84 VESPERTILIONID^— MYOTIS 



outside being to penetrate the mass, probably for warmth, and 

 to do this they were continually poking their noses between 

 those nearest to them, and then forcing in their bodies, to be 

 in their turn again pushed to the outside. In this manner a 

 regular bickering was kept up in the whole mass. However, 

 they seemed to be very gentle, and to have no idea of biting or 

 otherwise annoying each other. 



" On the boarded floor in the tower adjoining this retreat 

 many dead ones were lying about, in a dried condition, all of 

 them very small and hairless. These probably had fallen from 

 their mothers when on the wing, as they were themselves too 

 young to have flown there, and the parents could not have 

 rested in this chamber, and at that time let fall their young. 



"After watching this remarkable assemblage for some time, 

 about sixty were secured in a bag (only a very small proportion 

 of the number there), and the bag was opened in a lighted 

 room in the evening. They were soon flying about in all 

 directions. On the window being thrown open, those nearest 

 to it at once flew out ; but so completely gregarious are these 

 Bats, that after taking a turn or two outside they re-entered' 

 the room, and being joined by others, again went forth, and 

 again returned, until all had become aware of the means of 

 escape, when the whole company left the room in a cloud. We 

 may add, as further showing the gregarious nature of the 

 species, that a few which were retained, exhibited great uneasi- 

 ness when separated from each other, which disappeared when 

 permitted to be together." 



The gentle nature of this bat was also remarked upon by 

 Bell, who kept three in captivity for some little time, and found 

 that they readily took food from his hand, yet their apparently 

 friendly disposition, both to himself and to their companions, 

 did not prevent two of them from devouring one night the body 

 of the third. They were active in their habits, "running about 

 the cage and climbing with great agility." 



Mr J. E. Harting,^ who has seen a good deal of this bat in 

 west Sussex, finds it in the habit of flying about the oak 

 trees on the outskirts of the woods, appearing earlier in the 

 day — even before sunset — than the other local species, and 



^ Zoologist^ 1889, 241-248. 



