103 



COMMON BAT, OR PIPISTRELLE. 

 Scotophilus Murinus. GRAY. 



Ears ovato-triangular, shorter than the head, sinuate on 

 tite outer margin ; tragus about half the length of the ear, 

 linear-oblong, slightly incurvate, rounded at the end, and 

 \oncave in front ; far reddish-brown above, paler beneath. 



Vespertilio murinus, linn. Sys. Nat. I. 47; Vespertilio Pi- 

 pistrellus, Geoffr. Ann. Mus. d'Hist. Nat. VI II. 195; Des 

 mar. Mammal. 139 ; Jenyns, Brit. Vert. An. 24 ; Bell, Brit. 

 Quadr. 23. Comro -n Bat, Penn. Brit. Zool. 184. 



THE genus Scotrphiius is characterised by having 

 the head oblong the forehead flat, the face tumid 

 on the sides, and bare in front ; the membranes of 

 the ears and sides thick and somewhat leathery ; 

 the body covered with rather short, thick-set, ad- 

 pressed fine hairs ; the cutting teeth four above and 

 six below; the eyes small, and scarcely apparent, 

 being concealed among the fur. Five of our British 

 Bats are referred to it. Of these the most common 

 is the Pipistrelle, which appears to be generally dis- 

 tributed. 



