86 VESPERTILTONID/E. 



man in the Natural History of M. Demidoffs Travels in 

 Southern Russia and the Crimea. In the latter work it 

 is thus noticed : " Tres commun sur toute la cote meri- 

 dionale de la Crimee." 



We have examined specimens from Nepaul, which had 

 all the characters of European ones, and we are much 

 inclined to suspect that the Vespertilio leucomelas of Dr. 

 Ruppell is no other than the Barbastelle. 



In its affinities the Barbastelle appears to be more 

 intimately allied to Plecotus and the Australian genus 

 Nyctophilus than to any others ; but even from these it 

 is very distinct, constituting in fact a well-defined genus 

 of its own. We have not had the opportunity of mak- 

 ing a comparative examination of the American Long- 

 eared Bats, which have been placed by some writers in 

 the genus Plecotus, but may remark that in all the speci- 

 mens we have seen, the face bears as much resemblance 

 to that of Barbastellus as to Plecotus. 



The aspect of this Bat is more remarkable than that 

 of any other of our native species, with the exception of 

 the two species of Rhinolophus. The muzzle is trun- 

 cated, and a groove leads on each side upwards to the 

 nostrils : these are placed in a hollow on the upper sur- 

 face of the muzzle, which is naked, and extends back to 

 the union of the ears. The cheeks are rather tumid, and 

 covered with black hair, which forms a sort of moustache. 

 The ears are about the length of the head, nearly as 

 broad as they are long, and irregularly four- sided ; the 

 inner edges are turned back, forming a longitudinal 

 groove just within the margin ; the outer and superior 

 angle prominent, rounded, and turned back ; immediately 

 beneath this, on the external margin, is a rather deep 

 notch, from which five or six slight transverse folds ex- 

 tend about half way across the ear ; the anterior and 



