264 BATS. 



The greater horseshoe-bat has a very wide distribution, being found over a large 

 portion of Europe, the greater part of Africa, and Asia northwards of the Himalaya 

 Mountains, and as far eastwards as Japan. In England, although nowhere common, 

 it is met with in the southern counties, and is occasionally found in the Midlands, 

 but is quite unknown further north, and has never been observed in Ireland. Like 

 the other species, it generally prefers to rest during the day in caves and old buildings, 

 and does not issue forth till late in the evening, when it continues its flight till dark. 

 As we have already mentioned, there seems little doubt that the nose-leaf of these 

 bats is specially intended to aid them in avoiding obstacles during flight, as most or 

 all of the species fly later than the bats which are unprovided with these appendages. 

 Mr. J. E. Harting states that this species (Rhinolophus ferrum-eqwinum) when 

 on the wing appears as large as the noctule, from which it may be distinguished 

 by the greater proportionate width of the wing-membrane. In the caves of the 

 department of the Eure, in the north of France, great numbers of these bats 

 collect for their winter sleep ; upwards of one hundred and eighty having been 

 observed in one colony, and eighty in another. It is further noteworthy that 

 these colonies always consist exclusively of either males or females. 



The second British representative is the lesser horseshoe-bat (R. hipposiderus), 



which ranges over a large part of Europe, extending 

 as far north as the Baltic. It has been recorded 

 from Ireland, and is also found at Gilgit, on the 

 north-west portion of India, though in Africa it 

 does not extend south of the Sahara. Mr. Blanford 

 states that during the day it hides in caves, ruined 

 buildings, outhouses, etc., often in large numbers. It 

 usually appears about dusk, and, according to Scully, 

 HEAD OF LEAF-NOSED BAT (Hipposi- by whom it was observed in Gilgit, has a powerful 



^SS^Sff ! n> and lon g; sustained % ht ; but Blas ius, who made his 



observations on European examples, says its flight is 



rather irregular and fluttering. It is generally found rather higher in the air than 

 R. ferrum-equinum, and is more frequently found away from dense tree-growth. 



The largest of all the species is the great eastern horseshoe-bat (R. luctus), 

 which is found in elevated districts from India to Borneo and the Philippine 

 Islands. It has a very large and peculiar nose-leaf, the anterior part of which 

 spreads over the lips; and the colour of the fur and wings is generally jet black. 

 According to Captain Hutton, these bats generally go in pairs, instead of in flocks, 

 although several pairs may not unfrequently be found in large caves. The same 

 observer states that this species commences its flight early in the evening, and flies 

 at a height of about twenty or thirty feet above the ground, its movements being 

 somewhat heavy and slow. There are many other species of horseshoe-bats, among 

 which there is one (R. megaphyllus) peculiar to North-East Australia, a second (R. 

 capensis) confined to South Africa, extending as far north as Zanzibar, and a third 

 (R. cethiops) from West Africa. In the colder regions all the species of Rkinolophus 

 hibernate ; but the late Dr. Leith Adams mentions that in Malta the little horseshoe- 

 bat, which on the continent retires for the whole winter, may be observed at any 

 season, although of course most plentiful in summer, even in mid-winter occa- 



