FAMILY VESPERTILIONIDjE. PIPISTRELLE. 189 



in its habits, it is very quarrelsome, and will fight desperately 

 with its fellows. The Vespertilio pipistrellus, the Flitter- Mouse 

 of some country people, is ordinarily known in Britain as the 



CommonBat; being, 

 with the Long-eared 

 Bat, the most abun- 

 dant of the tribe. 

 This species has a 

 shorter period of 

 torpidity than any 

 other, coming forth 

 from its winter quar- 

 ters as early as the 

 middle of March, 

 and not permanently 

 retiring until the 



FIG. 90 COMMON BAT. . , . , ,, 



winter has decidedly 



set in. Its food consists especially of gnats and other dipter- 

 ous (two-winged insects) and as long as these are to be 

 found, the Bat seems to remain in activity, coming forth, as 

 the season advances, during the daytime rather than at night, 

 since then only is the temperature sufficiently elevated to call 

 forth its insect prey. The Pipistrelle frequents the haunts of 

 Man more than any other species ; its usual retreat being under 

 the roofs of houses, and in the nooks or crevices of buildings of 

 every description, as, for instance, in the cracks of old door- 

 frames, or behind the leaden rain-pipes. In its flight, which is 

 quick and flitting, it particularly frequents the neighbourhood of 

 rivers, flying about the trees which grow on the banks, or over 

 the surface of water, in search of gnats and other small insects. 

 It will readily feed, however, on meat ; being easily supported 

 on this diet in confinement ; and even sometimes finding its way 

 into larders, and making a hearty meal upon the joint it finds 

 there. The Plecotus auritus, or Long- eared Bat, is remarkable, 

 as already mentioned, for the extraordinary development of 

 its external ears ; these are beautifully transparent, and are often 

 thrown, by the will of the animal, into the most elegant curves. 



