THE HORSESHOE AND LEAF-NOSED BATS 265 



sists of two portions, the one immediately over the nose being horseshoe shaped, and 

 the posterior one pointed. Moreover, the ears have a large process of membrane 

 in front, termed the antitragus. 



The greater horseshoe-bat has a very wide distribution, being found over a large 

 portion of Europe, the greater part of Africa, and Asia northward of the Himalaya 

 mountains, and as far eastward as Japan. In England, although nowhere com- 

 mon, it is met with in the southern countries, and is occasionally found in the Mid- 

 lands, but is quite unknown further north, and has never been observed in Ireland. 

 L,ike the other species, it generally prefers to rest during the day in caves and old 

 buildings, and does not issue forth till late in the evening, when it continues its 

 flight till dark. As we have already mentioned, there seems little doubt that the 

 nose-leaf of these bats is especially intended to aid them in avoiding obstacles 

 during flight, as most or all of the species fly later than the bats which are 

 unprovided with these appendages. Mr. J. E. Harting states that this species 

 {Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum) when on the wing appears as large as the noctule, 

 from which it may be distinguished by the greater proportionate width of the wing 

 membrane. In the caves of the department of the Eure, in the north of France, 

 great numbers of these bats collect for their winter sleep ; upwards of one hundred 

 and eighty having been observed in one colony, and eighty in another. It is further 

 noteworthy that these colonies always consist exclusively of either males or females. 



The second British representative is the lesser horseshoe-bat (R. hipposiderus) , 

 which ranges over a large part of Europe, extending 

 as far north as the Baltic. It has been recorded from 

 Ireland, and is also found at Gilgit, on the northwest 

 portion of India, though in Africa it does not extend 

 south of the Sahara. Mr. Blanford states that during 

 the day it hides in caves, ruined buildings, outhouses, 

 etc. , often in large numbers. It usually appears about 

 dusk, and, according to Scully, by whom it was ob- 

 served in Gilgit, has a powerful and long-sustained HEAD OF LEAF-NOSED BAT 

 flight ; but Blasius, who made his observations on Euro- (Hipposiderus calcaratus}. 



(From Dobson, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1877.) 



pean examples, says its flight is rather irregular and 



fluttering. It is generally found rather higher in the air than R. ferrum-equinum, 



and is more frequently found away from dense tree growth. 



The largest of all the species is the great eastern horseshoe-bat (R. Indus'} , 

 which is found in elevated districts from India to Borneo and the Philippine islands. 

 It has a very large and peculiar nose-leaf, the anterior part of which spreads 

 over the lips ; and the color of the fur and wings is generally jet black. According 

 to Captain Hutton, these bats generally go in pairs, instead of in flocks, although 

 several pairs may not unfrequently be found in large caves. The same observer 

 states that this species commences its flight early in the evening, and flies at a 

 height of about twenty or thirty feet above the ground, its movements being some- 

 what heavy and slow. There are many other species of horseshoe-bats among which 

 there is one (jR. megaphyllus} peculiar to Northeast Australia, a second (R. capen- 

 sis) confined to South Africa, extending as far north as Zanzibar, and a third (R. 



