72 THE BRITISH MAMMALS : THEIR GENERA AND SPECIES. 



with a rounded lobe at the base of the outer margin. In colour 

 this Bat is pale brown above and ashy below, the hairs being all 

 blackish brown with paler tips. The head and body are an inch 

 and a half long, the head, like the ear, measuring only half an inch ; 

 the tail is almost as long as the head and body, and longer than the 

 forearm, which measures only an inch and a quarter, though the 

 wing-spread extends to between eight and nine. It ranges from Ireland 

 across England right away to Pekin and as far south as the Sahara. 

 It is a solitary species, appearing early after sundown, frequently 

 noticed flying low over water, and found hibernating in hollow 

 trees, old buildings, and chalk caves. 



Vesperugo. Plate ii. CHIROPTERA. 

 Wing-membrane rising from base of toes 



5. serotinus, SEROTINE. Dark brown; membrane near spur 



narrow ; head and body over two inches. 



9. pipistnllus, PIPISTRELLE. Reddish brown ; membrane near spur 

 broad ; head and body under two inches. 



6. discolor, PARTI-COLOURED BAT. Brown and white ; membrane 



near spur broad and distinct ; lower outer incisors half 

 as thick as upper outer incisors ; head and body 

 measuring two inches. 



Wing-membrane rising from ankle 



7. noctula, NOCTULE. Light brown, hairs paler at base; mem- 



brane near spur narrow and indistinct ; lower outer 

 incisors half as thick as upper incisors. 



8. leisleri, HAIRY-ARMED BAT. Light brown, hairs darker at 



base ; membrane near spur narrow and indistinct ; 

 lower outer incisors of similar thickness to upper 

 outer incisors. 



In this genus the outer edge of the ear begins near the angle of 

 the mouth, the ears are generally shorter than the head, and 

 triangular or rhomboidal in outline, the earlet is curved inwards or 

 straight, and the muzzle is broad and nearly bare in front of the 

 eyes, with conspicuous glandular prominences. The first premolar 

 is absent or small, and there are on each side of each jaw two 

 incisors, one canine, one or two premolars, and three molars, 

 making twenty-eight or thirty-two teeth in all, the upper incisors 

 being bifid and separated by a gap from the canines. There is 

 no lobe on the lower lip near the angle of the mouth. 



The Serotine has ears rather shorter than its head, with their 

 outer edge straight or slightly hollowed. On the face the fur is 

 short, on the upper lip there is a fringe of straight hairs, and on the 

 chin are longish hairs which radiate from a wart. On the upper 

 parts the colour is dark brown, the brown hairs having pale tips, 

 below the general colour ranges from pale brown to buff. The head 

 and body measure about two inches and three quarters, the tail 

 two inches, and the fore-arm two and a quarter. The Serotine is 



