THE BATS 



97 



or long bony spur arising from the ankle, and on its outer 

 margin this spur is somewhat notched, and fringed with stiff 

 hairs. The colour of this bat is a light reddish-brown flecked 

 with gray, as the tips of the hairs are grayish. The under 

 surface of the body is sometimes nearly white in aspect, ordinarily 

 a light silvery-gray. By this nearly white under part the reddish- 

 gray bat may be easily recognised, as also by the fringe of hairs 

 along the interfemoral membrane. The reddish-gray bat is very 

 gregarious in habits, and is fond of frequenting caverns, the 

 under side of roofs (especially in churches), and occasionally 

 hollow trees. It is said to have a kindly disposition towards its 

 comrades, and to be easily tamed by man ; yet specimens that 

 die in captivity are often half eaten by their comrades. The 

 distribution of the reddish-grey bat in England is fairly common 

 over the southern and midland counties. It has been found in 

 the west of Scotland, and is occasionally met with in Ireland in 

 the counties of Dublin, Wicklow, Cork, and Longford. Else- 

 where its range appears to be limited to Central and Eastern 

 Europe. It has not been recorded from Asia or from any part 

 of Europe to the south of the Alps. 



Myotis bechsteini. BECHSTEIN'S BAT 



In this species the margin of the interfemoral membrane is 

 naked. The length of the head and 

 body is slightly over 2 in., and the 

 tail is i-| in. The ears are nearly an 

 inch in length, and oval in shape. 

 The tragus is a third of an inch in 

 length, tapering to a point, curving 

 somewhat outwards, and shaped a 

 little like a scimitar. The narrow 

 nose is rather depressed in the middle. 

 The gape is very wide, extending to 

 the base of the ears. The muzzle is 

 rather long. The wing membrane 

 extends almost to the base of the toes. The wings are broad, but 



7 



HEAD OF BECHSTEIN'S BAT (nearly 

 twice natural size). 



