CHEIROPTERA. 625 



appendages, and the tail is usually elongated, and enclosed in 

 a large inter-femoral membrane. About fifteen species of this 

 family have been described as British, but of these only two 

 are at all common. Of these two, the Pipistrelle ( Vespertilio 

 pipistrella) is the commonest species, occurring over the whole 

 of Britain. The long-eared Bat (Plecotus auritus] is also not 

 uncommon, and is distinguished by its greatly elongated ears, 

 which are confluent above the forehead. The largest British 

 species is the Noctule ( Vespertilio noctula), which measures as 

 much as fifteen inches in expanse of wing. 



Fam. 2. RhinolophidcR. The second family of the Insec- 

 tivorous Bats is that of the Rhinolophidcz or Horse-shoe Bats, 

 which in most respects are very similar to the Vespertilionidce, 

 but are distinguished by the possession of a complex leaf-like 

 apparatus appended to the nose. Of this family, two British 



Fig. 267. A, Head of Vampire-bat (A lectops ater). B, Head of Fox-bat 

 (Pteropus personatus) after Gray. 



species are known the Greater and Lesser Horse-shoe Bats 

 (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum and R. hipposideros}. 



Fam. 3. Phyllostomidce. This is the only remaining family 

 of the Insectivorous Bats, and comprises the well-known Vam- 

 pire-bats (fig. 267, A), distinguished by having leaf-like nasal 

 appendages, and by the fact that the ears are of small size ; 

 whereas in the preceding they are always very large (Rhinolo- 

 phus), and are often confluent above the forehead (Megadermd). 

 They are all of L\rge size, and are natives of South America. 

 The Vampire-bat \Phyllostoma spectrum} has an expanse of wing 

 of two feet and a half, and lives chiefly upon insects. It also 

 has the habit of sucking the blood of sleeping animals, appear- 

 ing sometimes to attack even man, though apparently never 

 doing any substantial or lasting injury. 



2 R 



