276 BA TS 



Africa. It does not enter India, but is found in the valley of Kashmir, and also at 

 our frontier station at Gilgit. 



This being the commonest of the British bats, and also one which frequents the 

 neighborhood of human habitations, we are naturally more fully acquainted with its 

 habits than with those of many other species ; and the following account is mainly 

 derived from the excellent description given in Bell's British Quadrupeds. The 

 pipistrelle appears earlier and retires later than any other English bat, making its 

 first appearance as early as the middle of March, and not finally hibernating till winter 

 has actually set in. Its flight is extremely swift and rapid, and accompanied by the 

 sudden turns and descents which have probably been observed by all. The favorite 

 resorts of this species in inhabited regions appear to be old buildings and roofs, but 

 it seems to avoid the roofs of stacks and ricks, which might have been thought to 

 have afforded safe cover. Probably, however, this avoidance may be due to the rats 

 and mice which are so frequently found in such situations. Trees appear to be but 

 seldom selected, either as a temporary hiding place, or for the hibernation. In un- 

 inhabited districts crannies and clefts in rocks serve as shelter. The favorite food of 

 the pipistrelle is said to be gnats ; and the abundance of these insects on some of the 

 warmer days of winter is probably the reason why one or more of the bats may be 

 occasionally seen flying about at that season. In captivity this bat will readily eat 

 meat ; and it is said that it will at times visit larders for the sake of food of that 

 nature. 



In India the place of this bat is taken by a closely allied species, the Indian 

 pipistrelle ( V. abramus), which also ranges as far east as Northern Australia, and, 

 in summer at least, as far west as Central Europe. It may be at once distinguished 

 from the common species by the outer margin of the ear being straight, instead of 

 concave, below the tip. As the pipistrelle is the commonest bat in England, so its 

 Oriental representative is probably the most abundant species in India, where it 

 ranges from the Himalayas to Ceylon. Its habits are described as being similar to 

 those of the ordinary species, the same partiality for human dwellings being exhib- 

 ited, and the flight being characterized by similar sharp doublings and turns. 



Among the representatives of Vesperugo, our remarks will, in the 

 main, be restricted to those found in the British Isles ; and we accord- 

 ingly pass to the consideration of a species much larger than the preceding, and 

 known as the great bat, or noctule ( V. nodule}. This species, of which we give a 

 figure on the next page, belongs to the same section of the genus as the pipistrelle, and 

 is perhaps the best known of the larger British bats. Apart from its larger size, it is 

 distinguished from the pipistrelle by its broad and rounded ears, which are set very 

 far apart on the head. The color of the upper parts is yellowish brown, only very 

 slightly paler below ; but some examples have been described with a reddish tinge. 

 The length of the head and body is three inches, and the spread of the wings from 

 thirteen inches to more than fourteen. This bat has a wider distribution than the 

 pipistrelle, being found not only all over Europe and the temperate regions of Asia, 

 but likewise ranging into Africa north of the Sahara, and also occurring in Java and 

 Sumatra, and entering the confines of Anglo-Indian dominions in Nipal and Sikhim, 

 and not improbably Kandahar. 



