THE LONG-EARED BAT 205 



less, and after sunset crept out of its hole and sat for about 

 three hours In an exposed position on the trunk, with its eyes 

 open, but its ears still folded back beneath its wings. A high 

 wind was blowing, which probably prevented the bat taking 

 flight. On the following night — during a great storm, and at 

 a temperature of 49° — the animal was again found outside its 

 hole, this time with one of its ears unfolded and protruded in 

 front of it, while the other was still tucked below the wing. 

 Though the bat's eyes were wide open, and it seemed in 

 attitude ready to fly, it manifested no concern at having the 

 lantern held over it. Flight in such a storm would at any rate 

 have been impossible, and before 9 p.m. it was back in its hole. 

 During the next seven evenings it was invariably found asleep 

 in its den at whatever hour visited ; and on the night of the 

 2ist of January it was still there at 6 p.m., one and a half hours 

 after sunset, though the temperature was high (51°) and the 

 wind light. Next day, however, the hole was empty. A long 

 spell of cold weather immediately set in, and the bat was not 

 seen again until March. 



'* It returned for a few days about March 17th, during the 

 observer's absence from the locality, and deserted again on the 

 25th. On April loth it was once more in possession. 



" By this period of the spring one might have supposed that 

 its hibernation was over ; but the Bat's conduct proves the 

 reverse, for during the next three nights — April loth, nth, and 

 1 2th — it did not fly at all. On the loth it was visited with a 

 lantern at 7.35, 9.5, and 11.5 p.m. ; on the nth, at 8.45 p.m., 

 and on the 12th, at 8 and 10.30 p.m. ; and on all these occasions 

 was seen sound asleep. On the evening of April 13th, however, 

 it quitted the hole at 7.45 p.m. and did not again return. On 

 the same night, as already noticed, a bat of this species — 

 probably not the same individual — was seen flitting round a 

 willow. 



"The respective temperatures for the four nights of April 

 loth to 13th, taken about 8 p.m., were 43°, 41°, 43°, and 45°. 



" Other observers have recorded similar facts. Mr C. 

 Oldham^ informs us that he has found individuals of this 



^ See also Mem. and Proc. Manchester Literary and Philosoph. Soc, 49, ii., 9, 1-4, 

 31st March 1905. 



