BRITISH MAMMALS 



being shaped like a horseshoe, and the lower one is 

 pointed Enjoying a wide range of territory abroad, the 

 Greater Horseshoe, so called on account of its larger size, 

 is, nevertheless, rarely seen except in our southern 

 counties. Occasionally it wanders further afield, but 

 it has never been recorded from the north, and has yet 

 to be claimed as an inhabitant of the Emerald Isle. 



It shows a Hking for caves, old buildings and similar 

 retreats, leaving its diurnal resting place when Nature is 

 preparing to assume the robe of night. The question may 

 well be asked : "Of what use is the curious nose-leaf 

 after w^hich this species has acquired its popular name ?" 

 The answer is given by one of our foremost zoologists, 

 the late Mr. Richard Lydekker, to whose labours we are 

 indebted for many points in the opening chapter of our 

 story, who writes : " 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 unpro\ided with 

 these appendages." 



Another observer states that, when seen upon the 

 wing, the Greater Horseshoe appears as large as the 

 Noctule already described, but may be distinguished by 

 the greater proportionate width of the wing-membrane. 



Lesser Horseshoe Bat (Fig. 4). — This, the last 



species with which we are here concerned, has, unlike 



the Greater Horseshoe, been recorded from Ireland, 



but favours more or less the same haunts. It is of 



gregarious habits, and when a long-frequented hiding- 

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