WHISKERED BAT. 37 



desire to get into the most retired corners and crevices. The 

 first recorded British example was taken in a cavity over a 

 baker's oven to which it had obtained access through a small 

 fissure. 



It may be considered a common species in the South of 

 England from Kent to Cornwall, and more sparingly to Wales. 

 It is unknown in East Anglia, rare in the Midlands, and its 

 northward range terminates at Ripon. In Ireland it occurs in 

 the West only, in some parts of which it is the commonest 

 species. Its wider distribution includes Central Europe, 

 Mediterranean, 'to Gilgit ; northward in Europe to the Baltic. 



Whiskered Bat (Myotis mystadnus, Kuhl). 



The small and usually solitary Whiskered Bat was formerly 

 considered to be a rare species, but it turns out that the 

 naturalists of last century frequently confused it with the 

 Common Bat the Pipistrelle which, however, is smaller and 

 has a broader muzzle. The head and body measure about an 

 inch and a half, and the tail the same length. The wings are 

 narrow, but long, and have an expanse of nine inches. 



The soft, long fur of the upper parts is light yellowish brown 

 in colour ; lighter, almost dirty white below. It extends but 

 slightly on the wing membrane, and there is little of it on the 

 long, slender ear, whose outer margin is deeply notched, and 

 the straight, tapering tragus half the length of the shell of the 

 ear. The hinder margin of the brownish black wing membrane 

 is continued to the base of the toes, and the spur (calcar). 

 reaches halfway from the ankle to the long tail. Owing to the 

 length of the fur on the face the small eyes are almost hidden 

 and the face appears to be very short. There is a bristly 

 moustache on the upper lip which has suggested its trivial and 

 scientific names. 



Though reputed to be of solitary disposition and it usually 



