DAUBENTON'S BAT, NATTERERS BAT, ETC. 287 



This bat is found in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and appears to extend 

 over the greater part of Europe, having been recorded from Finland to Sicily. It 

 also extends into Asia, where it probably ranges over most of the temperate regions 

 to the northward of the Himalayas, while on the eastward of the Bay of Bengal it 

 extends southward into the Tenasserim provinces. It is sometimes termed the 

 water-bat. 



The rough-legged bat ( V. dasycneme) is another species belonging to the same 

 group of the genus, which has been recorded from the southern countries of Eng- 

 land. In it the wing membrane extends only to the ankle; and the species is 

 readily distinguished from the rest by the form of the tragus of the ear. which 

 approaches that of the serotine, and also by the thinness of the hair on the face. It 

 is widely distributed on the Continent, but has only of late years been recognized as 

 British. 



The reddish-graj'-, or Natterer's, bat ( V. nattereri) is also a British species of 

 very local occurrence, and belongs to the second or typical group, of the genus 

 Vespertilio. This group is characterized by the smaller size of the foot, by the 

 wing membrane generally extending down the leg as far as the base of the toes, 

 and also by the obtuse angle in the middle of the free hinder margin of the mem- 

 brane between the legs. Moreover, the tail is either wholly contained within the 

 margin of the membrane, or has only its extreme tip projecting beyond ; while the 

 spur arising from the ankle to support this membrane is shorter, reaching only to 

 half instead of three-quarters of the distance between the ankle and tail. The color 

 of its fur is lighter than that of any other British species. This bat is characterized 

 by the relatively small size of its head ; and its fur is of a reddish-gray color above, 

 and whitish beneath. Owing to the smallness of the head, the total length of the 

 head and body is somewhat less than in Daubenton's bat, but the span of the 

 expanded wings is two inches more, and thus reaches eleven inches. 



In habits it is a sociable species, being found in large numbers in its favorite 

 places of repose, which are generally buildings, especially church towers. Thus, in 

 the year 1848, an enormous colony was discovered in the roof and tower of the 

 church of the village of Arrow, near Alcester. Its range extends from Ireland to 

 the Ural mountains, and from the south of Sweden to the Alps. 



Another closely-allied British species is Bechstein's bat ( V. bechsteini), which 

 is limited to Europe, and is of rather larger size than the last; the length of the 

 head and body being 2 inches instead of 1.65 inches. It is distinguished by the 

 hinder margin of the membrane between the legs being naked instead of fringed, 

 and also by the shorter tail, of which the length is less than half that of the head 

 and body. The color is reddish gray above and grayish white below. It is very 

 rare in England, but has been taken in the New Forest. 



We must not leave this group of the genus Vespertilio without referring to an 

 African species remarkable for its gorgeous coloration. This is Welwitsch's bat 

 ( V. welwitschi) t from Angola, on the West Coast. In this bat (which is closely 

 allied to the last species), while the head and body are reddish above and straw 

 colored beneath, the naked wing membranes are variegated with orange and black, 

 the dark portions being of a triangular shape, and occupying the spaces between the 



