26 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



incisor and pre-molar teeth numerically the same as in Plecotus ; 

 but two pairs of lower pre-molars present instead of three. 



This genus, as now restricted, is represented only by the 

 under-mentioned species and an allied Indian form, known as 

 the Eastern Barbastelle (Synotus darjilingensis). 



THE BARBASTELLE BAT. SYNOTUS BARBASTELLUS. 



Vespertilio barbastellus^ Schreber, Saugethiere vol. i. p. 168 



(1775). 



Barbastellus daubentonii. Bell, British Quadrupeds p. 63 



(1837); 2nd ed. p. 81 (1874). 

 Barbastellus communis. Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. vol. ii. 



p. 494 (1838). 

 Synotus barbastellus> Keyserling and Blasius, Wirbelthiere 



Europ. p. 55 (1840). 



Characters. Ears broad, and when laid forward, extending to 

 a point midway between the eye and the end of the muzzle, 

 tips shortly truncated, inner margin regularly convex and 

 slanting much backwards ; outer margin concave, with a small 

 projecting lobe at the junction of the upper with the middle 

 third; earlet broad at the base, then narrowed opposite the 

 middle of the straight inner margin, and thence thinning to 

 the acute tip. Fur soft, deep black, with an indistinct greyish 

 tinge on the tips of the hairs. Length of head and body about 

 i inch; of tail the same. 



Distribution. The Barbastelle ranges over Southern and 

 Central Europe, Northern Africa, and the greater part of 

 temperate Asia north of the Himalaya. In Britain it is a 

 comparatively rare ^nd local species, seemingly not known to 

 the north of the Lake District, and unrecorded from Ireland. 

 First discovered in our islands at Dartford, Kent, it was sub- 

 sequently taken in a chalk-cave at Chiselhurst, in the same 



