24 VESPERT1LIONIM. 



other European Bats from North Africa, and it has been 

 discovered on the Mozambique coast by Dr. Peters, and 

 described as Vesperugo macuanus. 



This Bat is the largest of the British species, except- 

 ing V. murinus, which exceeds it in length by about half 

 an inch. The head is flat and broad ; the muzzle broad, 

 obtuse, and nearly naked ; the mouth wide ; the nostrils 

 tumid at the upper and inner margin, and slightly 

 channelled on the outer side. The ears are wide apart, 

 shorter than the head, oval, the external margin with 

 a rather deep fold near the base, from which it is pro- 

 duced downwards and forwards, below the corners of the 

 mouth. Tragus very short, narrow at its base, then 

 suddenly expanded into a broad, rounded, or reniform 

 head, which is rather thick, and covered with numerous 

 minute papillae. Fur soft, moderately long. The tail 

 longer than the fore-arm, its termination curved inwards, 

 and projecting rather more than a line beyond the inter- 

 femoral membrane, which is thicker and more opaque 

 than the other parts of the flying membrane, and is 

 furnished with about fourteen or sixteen transverse lines. 

 The colour of the fur is a reddish brown, scarcely darker 

 above than beneath ; the ears, muzzle, and membrane, 

 dusky, the latter darker and thinner towards its 

 margin. 



It is remarkable that Geoflroy has described this Bat 

 under the name of Serotine, and the latter under that of 

 Nodule, in his paper on the genus Vespertilio, in the An- 

 nales du Museum. His descriptions of the two species 

 are good, but misapplied ; in proof of which I need only 

 quote the following observations which occur under the 

 head Serotine. Speaking of its distinctions from Noctule, 

 he says, " II en differe par 1'oreillon, qu'il a plus court, 



