THE j\rAMMALIA OF DORSETSHIRE. iq 



A dozen or more were killed in the old porch of my house 

 when it was taken down. 



A year or two ago several were found inside one of the old 

 trees in the avenues of Dorchester which was blown down. It 

 is probably a common species throughout the wooded districts 

 of the county. 



The Common Bat, Vtspcni^o pipisirdhis. 



This is the smallest and the commonest of our bats, and is the 

 most frequently seen, as it appears earlier and retires later than 

 any other species, even being seen in warm evenings at Christ- 

 mas. I\Ir. Borrer mentions in the "Zoologist" for September, 

 1874, that he took several specimens at Ensbury, in Dorsetshire, 

 of a very rusty red colour, nearly that of the dormouse. Although 

 its principal food consists of flies, it has still a certain fondness 

 for meat, which gave rise to the old rhyme : — 



" Bat, biit, flj- into my hat. 

 And I'll give yovi a slice of bacon." 



Genus VESPERTILIO. 



The Reddish-Grey Bat, VtspcrtiUo Natlcrcri. 



The only record of the occurrence of this species in our 

 county is that of Mr, Borrer, who mentions in the "Zoologist" 

 for September, 1S74, that he received it from Ensbury. 



Daubenton's Bat, VtspcrtiUo Dauhcntoui. 



This species has a partiality for water and boathouscs. 

 Specimens from Glanvilles Wootton were identified by ]\Ir. 

 Frederick Bond. jMr. Borrer also records in the "Zoologist" 

 that on the 3rd of April, 1856, he obtained this species from the 

 Isle of Purbeck. It is apparently a common species. 



The Whiskered Bat, Vespcrtilio viystaciiius. 



One is recorded by IMr. Borrer in the "Zoologist" as being 

 taken in an ivy-covered wall near Wimborne in 1859. 



Genus PLECOTUS. 

 Long-eared Bat, Pkcotiis aiiritus. 



This is a fairly common species, is more readily tamed than 

 most others, and may soon be brought to exhibit a considerable 



