LESSER HORSE-SHOE BAT. 99 



Some bookshelves in a recess especially attracted its 

 attention, and after examining them diligently, it flew 

 into a vacancy occasioned by the removal of a moderate 

 octavo volume, and again into the open room, without 

 having so much as touched anything with the tips of its 

 wings. But it was most interesting to observe it when 

 making an examination of the window, searching every 

 pane over and over, inch by inch, until it migh't properly 

 be said that no portion of the glass remained unexamined. 

 While doing this, the wings were kept in a vibratory 

 state, the face of the animal being directly in front of 

 the glass, and very near to it, as if looking out of win- 

 dow. The general manners of the creature when thus 

 engaged, conveyed in a slight degree the idea of a Hawk- 

 moth, when hovering in front of a flower. From the be- 

 haviour of the individual, and its peculiar mode of flight, 

 it was difficult to repress the idea that it was either 

 feeling its way about, like a blind person, or feeling for an 

 opening by which to escape ; but, at the same time, its 

 shyness when approached sufficiently testified that its 

 organs of sight were by no means inactive. A consider- 

 able difference was observable in its manner of alighting 

 from that of other Bats. Instead of adhering by means 

 of its claws against an object, it invariably sought for 

 something from which it could hang freely suspended. 

 The leaf of a table which was let down was often tried, 

 but its polished surface not furnishing a suitable hold 

 for the claws, was as often relinquished for some fringe 

 over a window, from which it would hang suspended by 

 one foot for some time, swinging about, and twisting 

 itself round, to watch those who were observing it. 



The existence of this species in Ireland is now proved 

 beyond a doubt, by the observations of several Natural- 

 ists in that part of the kingdom. It has been found in 



