46 BRITISH BATS. 



determined conflict. I separated them by sprink- 

 ling a few drops of water on them which cooled 

 their bellicose, propensities ; and I lost no time in 

 transferring them to their respective abodes. The 

 great horse-shoe bat (RhinolopJius ferrum-equinum) 

 is one of our native species that possesses that 

 curious leaf-like membrane on the nose, so ex- 

 tensively developed in some of the South American 

 vampire bats (Phyllostoma). This peculiar struc- 

 ture in the horse-shoe bat consists of two portions 

 the anterior, resembling a horse-shoe in form, and 

 curving from the lips upwards, so as to surround 

 the nostrils. The second leafy membrane rises from 

 the forehead, and resembles a laurel-leaf in form, a 

 basal lobe being place at each side, and the whole 

 being fringed with stiffish hairs. The extent of 

 wing in this bat is about thirteen inches ; the 

 length of the head and body being nearly three 

 inches. The fur is reddish grey above and pale 

 grey beneath ; the ears light reddish brown. The 

 only living specimen I ever saw of this bat was 

 sent me from Eochester, having been taken in the 

 cathedral ; it unfortunately had received some 

 injury in its capture, as it lived but a few days. 



The lesser horse-shoe bat (Rhindlophus hipposi- 

 deros) resembles the species last described in most 

 points, differing only from it in the greater propor- 

 tionate breadth of the nasal membrane, and the 



