r 



MAMMALIA. 



Vespcrtilio. The Ei^yptiau species is represented to have small eyes ; but that (i^'ured by Gen. Hardwicke (Lin. 

 Trans., vol. xiv. p. 525) possesses eyes proportionally as laige as in a Squirrel, and we have examined skins of 

 another species (chinchilla-grey above, pure white beneath), in which the same character must have been con- 

 spicuous.] 



The Mormopes {Mormoops, Leach) — 

 Have four incisors to each jaw, the superior rather large ; tlie inferior trilobate : their skull (fig. 17) is 

 singularly raised like a pyramid above the muzzle ; and on each side of the nose is a triangular 

 membrane, which extends to the ear. 



The species M. Blainvillii, Leach, is from Java. [It has since been received, together with two others of the 

 same form (but considered by Gray as separable), from Jamaica ; so that the former locality may be presumed to 

 be wrono;ly assigned.] 



The ordinary Bats [to which this term may be restricted] {Vesper/iUo, Cuv. and Geof.) — 

 Have no leaf or other distinctive mark on the muzzle, and the ears separated; four incisors above, of 

 which the two middle ones are apart, and six below, sharp-edged, and somewhat notched * : their tail 

 is comprehended in the membrane. 



Tliis subgenus is the most numerous of all, and universally distributed. There are six or seven species 

 m France [more than double that number. Thirteen have now been met with in England, including the Barbastelle 

 and Oreillard. The sexes and young of several congregate separately.!] 



* M. I>ousseaii, in a memoir on the anatomy of Fesp. murbius, 

 states, of the two dentitions of this animal, that the first is developed 

 before birth, the second not till some time afterwards. The foetal teeth, 

 he remarks, are twenty-two in number ; namely, four incisors, two 

 canines, and four molars to the upper jaw, and six incisors, two 

 canines, aud-four molars to the lower one. The permanent teeth, in 

 tlje adnll, are thirty-eight in number; of which twenty-two should 

 replace the foetal or temporary teeth ; the sixteen others successively 

 shoTT themselves, later as their position is further backward. The 

 permanent teeth do not wait to appear until their predecessors 

 are shed, whence at a certain epoch forty or fifty teeth, or even more, 

 may be counted in the same individual : this last fact we have ob- 

 served in the instance of the common Fitchet Weasel.— Ed. 



t To facilitate the researches of the British naturalist, our known 

 in.liijenous species may be briefly indicated : it is not unlikely that 

 m.)re remain to be discovered, as but few persons have hitherto bc- 

 strnved much .attention on these lucifugal animals. 



TheBritish species fall under two matural divisions. 



In the first, the tragus is more or less rounded at the tip, short, and 

 a little thickened in its substance ; there are four pairs of false molars 

 to each jaw. Such are 



The Noctule Bat (T. noctitla) .—01 a bright reddish-brown; the 

 membrane dusky. Length of the head and body nearly 3 inches : ex- 

 tent 13 or 14 inches. Ears oval-triangular, shorter than the head ; 

 the tragus not one-third the length of the ear, arcuated, and termi- 

 nated in a broad rounded head ; muzzle short, broad, and blunt. 

 This species is not uncommon, and is even numerous in some 

 districts : its flight is lofty, whence designated altivolmis by White. 



Hairy-armed Bat (F.Leis(eri).— The fur long, bright chestnut above, 

 brownish grey beneath ; under surface of the flying membrane with a 

 broad band of hair along the fore-arm. Length of the head and body 

 2Vi; inches ; extent llVi inches. The ears oval-triangular, shorter than 

 the head ; tragus barely one-third the length of the ear, terminating 

 in a rounded heaii. But one specimen is known to have been killed in 

 England. 



Particoloured Bat (f. rfijco/(/r) .— Fur rcddisb-brown above, with 

 the tips of the hairs white; beneath, sullied white. Length of the 

 licad and body 23-4 inches ; extent lOVi; inches. Ears about two- 

 thirds the length of the head, oval, with a projecting lobe on the 

 inner margin; the tragus of nearly equal breadth throughout, rather 

 of the ear. It inhabits towns, and 

 ng. The only native specimen was 



■inus by 



ntore than one-third the length 

 comes abroad early in the even 

 taken at Plymouth. 



Pipistrelle Bat (F. pipistreltua, erroneously termed V. 

 British writers till very lately).— This small species is the 

 of any; it is dark reddish brown, paler beneath. Length to the tail 

 Vih inch ; extent 8',4 inches. F;ars two-thirds the length of the head, 

 oval-triangular, notched on the outer margin ; tragus nearly half as 

 , ainiost straight, thickened, obtuse, and rounded at 

 ans with celerity, carrying its head near the ground, 

 ses with ease ; ami is active during the greater part 

 The Pygmy Bat (F. pygmnus, Leacli,) is evidently a 

 young animal, and probably of this species. 

 The next has only two pairs of superior false molars. 

 The Serotinc Bat (F. j<Tfi<i;/K.i).— Fur chestnut-brown above, yel- 

 lowish-grey beneath. Length of the head and body 2'ii inches ; ex- 



long , 



frt>m which i 

 of the year. 



tent 1214 inches. The ( 

 tragus semicordate, iittl 

 The Scrotirie frequents 

 and sometimes hollow 



ears oval triangular ; shorter than the hca'i ; 

 e more than one-third the length of tlie ear. 

 uninhabited houses, the roofs of churches, &c. 

 trees ; flies steadily and rather slow, and is 



occasionally taken near London. 



In the second group, the tragus is relatively longer, thin, narrow, 

 and more or less pointed ; and there are six pairs of false molars to 

 eai;h jaw. 



Mouse-coloured Bat {V. murinus). — The fur reddish-brown above, 

 dull white beneath. Length of the head and boiiySV^ inches ; spread 

 of wing 15 inches. Ears oval, broad at the base, becoming narrower 

 towards the ape.x, as long as the head; tragus falciform, the inner 

 margin straight, not qtute half the length of the ear. This Bat is very 

 common in France and Germany, but only one instance has been re- 

 corded of its occurrence in Britain. 



Bechstein's Bat (F. Bechsteinii) .— Fur reddish-grey above, greyish- 

 white beneath. Dimensions, to the insertion of the tail, 2|4 inches ; 

 U inches across. E irs oval, rather longer than the head ; tragus 

 narrow, falciform, not half the length of the ear. The thumb longer 

 than in the others. A woodland species, found occasionally in the 

 New Forest, Hants. 



Fringe-tailed Bat ( ^'. Nnttcreri).—' Ymt brown above, whitish 

 beneath. Length, to the tail, nearly 2 inches; extent 11 inches. 

 Ears oblong-oval, about as long as the head ; tragus narrow-lanceo- 

 late, nearly two-thirds the length of the ear; interfemoral membrane 

 with the margin crenate and stiffly ciliated, from the end of the spur 

 or calcaneum to the tail. Has been met with in several parts of tlie 

 country. 



Notch-eared Bat [I', emarg'inntns, Geof., not of Jcnyns). — Tlie fur 

 reddish-grey above, ash-coloured beneath. Lenyth of the head and 

 body two inches ; extent 9 inches. The ears oblong, as long as the 

 head, with a notch and a small lobe on the outer margin ; tragus awl- 

 shaped, a little curved outward, more than half the length of the ear. 

 One was killed near Dover. 



Daubenton's Bat (^F. Dttnbfutn?ii'i,~-etnargijifitus of Jenyns). — Fur 

 soft, plentiful, brownish-black at the base ; the surface greyish-red 

 above, ash-grey berieath. Length of the head and body 2 inches ; 

 extent 9 inches. The ears oval, three-fourths the length of the head, 

 very slightly notched on the outer margin, with a fold on the inner 

 margin at the base ; tragus narrow-lanceolate, rather obtuse, bending 

 a little inward, half the length of the ear ; tail longer than the body. 

 Has been taken in several localities, and flies rapidly near the ground, 

 or over stagnant water. 



Whiskered Bat ( F. mystaciniis). — Fur blackish -chestnut above, 

 dusky beneath ; the upper lip furnisked with a moustache of long fine 

 hair. Length of the head and body I'^i inch ; extent 8v^ inches. Ears 

 oblong, bending outward, shorter than the head, notched on the outer 

 margin ; the tragus half the length of the ear, lanceolate, a little ex- 

 panded at the outer margin near the base. Has also occurred \u 

 different parts of the country. 



The above characters are chiefly compiled from Beirs British Quad- 

 rupeds:, where figures and minute descriptions are given of each of 

 thtm, t()gether with full-sized representations of their heads. U v i-v 

 be remnrked that only the last five are retained in Fespertilio by Mr. 

 Gray, the others being included in his Scotop/nlus.— ED. 



