The Noctule 311 



Admitting this wonderful power of vision, where the capture 

 of prey is the object, its supreme importance in directing 

 the safe flight of its possessor can hardly be doubted ; 

 but, as still further elucidating the subject, I have repeatedly 

 seen a Bat foul my gut casting line, when hung in its path, 

 and noticed that it was always a wing that fouled it, and 

 never that part of the body directly guided by the eyes. 



The Noctule was the only other species of Bat identified 

 at Llanuwchllyn. It was not numerous ; and the few pairs 

 seen from time to time were, I think, visitors, perhaps from 

 Bala or elsewhere, rather than residents ; experience in 

 other districts having led me to look upon this Bat more as 

 a suburban than as a truly rural species. I have also gener- 

 ally seen it flying distinctly in pairs, even although several 

 couples might be visible at the same time. Perhaps the 

 larger size of the species makes the difference in that respect 

 more conspicuous in individuals. In each pair, one is 

 generally appreciably larger than the other ; and in three 

 cases, when the large one was shot, it proved to be a male. 

 No specimen of the Noctule was killed at Llanuwchllyn, 

 nor, indeed, was it necessary for purposes of identification, 

 as the flight is as easily recognised as that of a Sandpiper, 

 to which bird I have sometimes thought it bore a slight 

 resemblance upon the wing. The Noctule was never seen 

 here except on warm nights in summer ; but elsewhere I 

 have noticed it abroad, and active, as early* as the end of 

 April, and as late as the middle of October. They appear 

 soon after sunset, sometimes while it is still quite light ; and, 

 coursing through the upper air amongst the Swifts and 

 Swallows, well justify the name of Altivolans, bestowed upon 

 the species by the author of the Natural History of Selborne. 

 Whilst watching a large number of Rooks, and Jackdaws, 

 gyrating above their roosting place, on 25th September, I was 

 much interested to see a Noctule pass right through the 

 flock several times, paying as little attention to the birds as 

 they did to it. The rush of the several hundred pairs of 

 wings, one would have thought, was enough to disconcert 

 any Bat, and it seemed more curious still that the Rooks 

 should make no attempt to mob it. 



