VESPERTILIONIDJ 



-MAMMALIA.- 



53 



period of gestation in the noctule exceeds thirty-eight 

 days." According to the observations of Mr. White of 

 Selborne, this species does not make its appearance on 

 the wing until the latter part of April, and not after the 

 month of July. The same authority first noticed that 

 the body of the noctule emitted an offensive odour. 

 Throughout Europe it may be said to be a common 

 species. In Dr. Gray's catalogue of specimens pre- 

 served ill the British Museum, this bat is called Noc- 

 tulinia altivolans, the latter word indicating its most 

 characteristic habit. 



THE SEROTINE (Vespertilio serotinus}. This is a 

 moderate-sized bat, having a length of little more than 

 two inches and a half, exclusive, of course, of the tail. 

 The ears are tolerably large, the body being clothed 

 with a long, soft, downy covering of a reddish-brown 

 colour above, and gradually shading off to an obscure 

 yellow tint at the under part of the body. Mr. Bell 

 says, " It appears to have very much the habit of the 

 noctule, at least as far as regards its late appearance in 

 the spring, and its sound and long-continued slumber. 

 It flies from evening till morning, when the state of the 

 atmosphere is favourable. In France, where it is far 

 from being rare, it frequent forests, where it flies among 

 lofty trees. It is also commonly found amongst the 

 huge piles of wood in the timber yards of Paris, seek- 

 ing its place of repose on the tops of the highest piles. 

 With us it appears to be a rare species, not having 

 hitherto been found anywhere but around London. 

 Its flight is slow ; it shuns society more than most other 

 bats, being generally found either solitary or in pairs. 

 It has only one young one at a birth about the end of 

 May in France, probably somewhat later in this country. 

 It is found in Germany, Holland, France, and Switzer- 

 land." In the catalogue of Mammalia preserved in the 

 British Museum, this species is designated Scotophilus 

 serotinus, 



THE MOUSE-COLOURED BAT (Vespertilio murinus). 

 There can be no doubt that this is the largest of our 

 indigenous Cheiroptera, as it far exceeds the noctule in 

 length, measuring three and a half inches from the 

 muzzle to the base or root of the tail. It is, as we 

 have before stated, a common species in continental 

 Europe, but exceedingly rare in Britain. The head is 

 elongated, and narrower in front than, obtains in any 

 of the foregoing species ; the eyes are conspicuous, and 

 placed well forward ; the ears- are broad at their base, 

 but markedly pointed at their tips. Its habits are gre- 

 garious, and it has a special fondness for old buildings. 

 It is a very pugnacious animal, and it may be remarked 

 that its general appearance seems to indicate such a 

 ferocity of disposition. Moths appear to constitute its 

 principal insect food. In the British Museum catalogue 

 this is also classed under the genus S'otophUus. 



NATTERER'S BAT (Vespertilio Nattereri). In ac- 

 cordance with a distinguishing character which more 

 or less marks this species, Mr. Bell designates it the 

 Reddish-grey Bat. The rules observed in naming 

 species are of necessity very arbitrary ; and although, 

 to the eye of a well-trained practical naturalist, a varia- 

 tion of colour is readily appreciated, by the general 

 observer of nature differences in this respect are easily 

 overlooked ; unless, indeed, they exhibit the most pal- 



pable significance. Independent of the opportunity of 

 variety afforded by the introduction of authors' sur- 

 names into our natural history nomenclature, it also 

 offers an agreeable medium for diffusing the names 

 of distinguished naturalists among those who cannot 

 be expected to know, in all cases, to whom science 

 is indebted for its advances in ancient or even more 

 modern times. Thus, for the sake of illustration, it is 

 doubtless agreeable to the general reader to be aware 

 that the Dr. Natterer, whose name is employed in connec- 

 tion with this bat, was a celebrated Austrian naturalist, 

 who greatly extended our knowledge of the animals of 

 Germany, and who, during his travels in the compara- 

 tively new field opened up to him on the Brazilian 

 continent, accumulated a prodigious amount of materials 

 and facts, which have since enlarged the borders of 

 natural history science in various departments. Having 

 said thus much, partly by way of apology for adopting 

 the above English specific title, we have now to observe 

 that this species is scarcely two inches long. The 

 head is small, as compared with the species just de- 

 scribed, while the muzzle is pointed and narrow. The 

 ears are about the length of the head, while the little 

 appendage in front, looking like a second ear in some 

 species, and called the tragus, is particularly thin and 

 styliform. In regard to its habits but little has been 

 noticed ; nevertheless, Mr. Bell has recorded some 

 interesting observations respecting three examples, 

 which were obtained from one of those well-known 

 artificial caverns in the chalk-pits at Chiselhurst in 

 Kent. " These specimens continued alive "for a short 

 time, feeding on bits of raw meat, and exhibiting great 

 familiarity not only towards their companions, but 

 with myself, eating from my hand, and allowing me to 

 meddle with them without evincing fear or anger. One 

 of them was one morning found dead, and partially 

 eaten by his companions; and the remaining two died 

 shortly afterwards. They were active in their habits, 

 running about the cage, and climbing with great agility. 

 Their attitude when running on a plane surface was 

 more horizontal that that of the long-eared bat, though 

 perhaps less so than the pipistrelle, which runs along 

 almost on its belly." Natterer's bat has hitherto, we 

 believe, only been captured in the eastern counties of 

 England. This species will be found in the British 

 Museum catalogue, under the combined generic and 

 specific name of Myotis Nattereri. 



THE PARTICOLOURED -RAX (Vespertilio discolor). 

 This is a well-marked form, and one of the most attrac- 

 tive of the species hitherto seen in this country. It 

 derives its name from the peculiar mottled colour of 

 the fur, the tips of the hairs on the back being of a 

 light-grey colour, while their roots have a rich chestnut 

 hue. On the under surface of the body the hairs are 

 still variegated, but they exhibit a much lighter shade. 

 The particoloured bat measures rather more than two 

 and a half inches in length. The ears are of moderate 

 size, the eyes being particularly small. Throughout 

 Europe this species appears to be everywhere scarce, 

 and only a single example has been taken in England. 

 The specimen in question is now in the British Museum, 

 and is named in the catalogue Scotophilus discolor. ]t 

 was obtained at Plymouth. 



