94 Proceedings of the Royal Physical Society. 
room, and ever and anon resting suspended head downwards 
from the cornice or curtains. It delights in scrambling about 
the pictures, the window-blinds, and even the chairs; and 
often settles on the floor, where it moves with considerable 
rapidity (indeed, it may almost be said to run), keeping the 
body practically clear of the ground. A more knowing little 
creature I have seldom seen; and, having discovered that 
there is sufficient space below the room-door for it to creep 
through, its endeavours to overcome obstacles placed in the 
way of its escape are most persistent and amusing. Once it 
flew up the chimney, but in five minutes returned very much 
begrimed, of course, with soot. At the light it never flies, 
as moths invariably do. During flight the tail is not, as a 
rule, stretched full out behind (as represented in most illus- 
trations of bats on wing), but, at about half its length, is 
curved downwards and forwards. From a flat surface—the 
table or the floor, for instance—it springs into flight without 
the slightest difficulty. Flies and small pieces of butcher- 
meat it takes readily from the hand. The inside of the 
mouth is quite pallid as compared with that of a Daubenton’s 
Bat I had alive a month ago.! 
VESPERUGO PIPISTRELLUS (Schreb.). COMMON BAT oR 
PIPISTRELLE. 
Bats are familiar objects in almost every part of the district, 
as they flit to and fro in the twilight of summer evenings; 
and, of the three kinds positively known to occur, the 
Pipistrelle is undoubtedly by far the most abundant and 
generally distributed. I have examined examples from many 
localities ; and, by its size and its style of flight, have identified 
it on the wing hundreds of times. Some years ago I captured 
about a dozen in a few minutes with a landing-net at 
Macbiehill in Peeblesshire, and in May 1890 I secured nearly 
as many with an insect-net at Gosford in East Lothian. I 
have also recently netted it at Duddingston Loch. For the 
opportunity of examining fresh specimens from the following 
localities, my best thanks are due to the persons whose names 
1 Captured at Cromdale, Strathspey, vide Scottish Naturalist, 1891, p. 190. 
