314 VESPERTILIONIDJi. 



Distribution. This is perhaps the commonest bat in India, and 

 appears to be found throughout the Peninsula, Ceylon, and Burma. 

 It ascends the Himalaya to at least 7000 feet, and is met with 

 commonly in Sind and the Punjab. Beyond Indian limits it in- 

 habits the whole Oriental region and a considerable part of the 

 Palaearctic, its range extending to Northern Australia in one 

 direction, and, in the summer at all events, to Central Europe and 

 even to Sweden in the other. 



Habits. Probably one cause why this species is so frequently 

 observed in India is that it is especially a house bat, hiding in roofs, 

 outhouses, and old buildings during the day, rather than in woods, 

 and flying early in the evening, often close to human habitations. 

 It frequently comes into rooms at night. Its flight is very quick, 

 but very irregular ; after going a short distance it often drops 

 suddenly, doubtless in order to seize an insect, and it frequently 

 keeps about the same spot for a considerable time. I cannot say 

 that it hibernates in India, but certainly this and other bats dis- 

 appear almost entirely during the cold season from November to 

 the end of February in Northern India. In temperate climates it 

 is said to sleep throughout the winter. Blasius found two young in 

 all pregnant females examined by him. 



188. Vesperugo pipistrellus. The common Pipistrelle. 



Vespertilio pipistrellus, Schrcb. Sdugth. i, p. 167, pi. 54 (1775). 



? Vespertilio pallidiventris, Hodgson, Calc. Journ. N. H, iv, p. 286 



(no description; see JSlyth, J. A. S. B. xx, p. 150, note). 

 Myotis pipistrellus, Blyih, J. A. S. B. xxi, p. 360 ; id. Cat. p. 35. 

 Vesperugo pipistrellus, Dobson, Mon. As. Chir. p. 95 ; id. Cat. Chir. 



B. M. p. 223 ; id. Second Yarkand Miss., Mam. p. 11 ; Anderson, 



Cat. p. 128; ScttBy, P. Z. S. 1881, p. 200 ; W. Blanf. J. A. S. B. 



Ivii, pt. 2, p. 267. 



Ears subtriangular, tip rounded, outer margin nearly straight for 

 one third its length below the rounded tip, then suddenly curved 

 out into a prominent lobe. There is a slight concavity opposite 

 the base of the tragus, and in front of this a prominent convex 

 lobe. Tragus very similar to that of V. abramus, but the inner 

 margin is less concave. Muzzle better clad than in V. abramus. 



Inner upper incisors bifid, the outer cusps smaller and posteriorly 

 situated ; each outer incisor sometimes as long as the outer cusp of 

 the inner, sometimes shorter. In all other details of structure this 

 bat agrees with V. abramus. 



Colour of fur moderately deep rufous-brown above, paler below ; 

 basal half to three fourths of all hairs black. Specimens from dry 

 sandy districts are paler, sometimes almost white below. 



Dimensions. Head and body 1-65 inches, tail 1-4, ear from crown 

 0-3, forearm 1-25. 



Distribution. The Palaearctic region, generally distributed. 

 Within Indian limits this species has only been recorded with 

 certainty from Gilgit and the valley of Kashmir. 



