248 RHINOLOPHID.E— RHINOLOPHUS 



taining the position of the curious reduced interfemoral 

 membrane and tail. During the whole process of pouching 

 and eating a beetle the posterior portion of the tail remained in 

 the characteristic recurved position. 



" This reflexed tail (writes Mr Coward), or to be more 

 exact, portion of the tail, is constantly in this curious position. 

 In flight the anterior portion of the interfemoral membrane is 

 stretched between the slightly flexed legs ; the end of the tail is 

 upturned ; ^ and when the bat is scrambling or climbing, the tail 

 is held in the same position ; when at rest the tail is flat upon 

 the back if the wings are half-open, or lies partially concealed 

 by the forearms if the animal is closely wrapped in its wings." 



The sounds made by this bat are variable. Mr Coward 

 compares its voice to a sparrow-like chirp or chattering, 

 while Mr Millais describes it as a somewhat subdued squeak, 

 louder in the young, which, when clinging to their mothers or 

 following them about when nearly full grown, keep up a con- 

 stant high-pitched double cry. Two which he kept in his own 

 house maintained this cry, apparently without ceasing, through- 

 out the day and night. 



It seems probable that, though not without exception, the 

 sexes keep their own company. This was Mr Coward's 

 experience, and it is also possible that, as suggested for 

 the Lesser Horseshoe, there is an actual disparity in their 

 numbers, the males being more plentiful. In France, according 

 to Messrs Rollinat and Trouessart, the pregnant females unite 

 to form more or less numerous bands in April, and do not 

 separate until they have reared their young. They are fre- 

 quently accompanied by a few non-breeding young of both 

 sexes, and even, very often, by adult males. 



Messrs Rollinat and Trouessart have published an interest- 

 ing account of the breeding habits." They find that the 

 pairing season is in autumn, but that fertilisation, and conse- 

 quently the true period of gestation, does not commence until 

 the resumption of the period of activity in spring. This varies 

 with the vigour of the individual and the situation of its winter 



' Cummings corroborates this point, loc. at., 291. 



2 Loc. cit. ; also, Cofnptes rendus Soc. Biol., 26th January and 6th July 1895, 53-54, 

 and 534-536 (reprints). 



