FREE-TAILED GROUP. 



293 



Harting, that in December 1888 he visited a cave in an island near Menos. " This 

 cave is in a soft shale formation, and the top of the opening is about seven feet from 

 the water at full tide. The bats were then in an active state, and the majority 

 appeared to be flying homewards. There were few fish near the surface of the 

 water, and comparatively little local fishing appeared to be going on. An 

 occasional ' swish ' now and again far out proved that the bats were trying to 

 secure their prey. Five homeward-bound specimens were secured in the cave, 

 about twelve yards from the mouth. The stomach of one specimen opened within 

 half an hour contained much fish in a finely-divided and partially digested state. 

 On the morning of the 31st I visited the cave from which the specimens were 

 procured at 3 A.M., and found that the bats had apparently forgotten the previous 

 disturbance. They came flying in in dozens, and two specimens were secured. 

 Both contained considerable quantities of fish. I have opened several other 

 specimens of these bats, and in the majority of cases fish-scales were found ; but 

 the stomachs of two were perfectly empty. This might be attributed to the 

 absence of the desired fish in the locality." 



THE LONG-TAILED BAT. 



Genus Rhinopovia. 



The last, and at the same time not the least, noteworthy member of the present 

 subfamily, is the long-tailed bat {Rhinopoma microphyllum), which is found from 



LONG-TAILED BAT (liat. size). 



