The Zoologist— July, 1874. 4073 



this country when the former edition of this work was published. 

 Since that time it has been taken in Ireland, in a cave by the 

 BlackstafF River, near Belfast. It was communicated to Dr. 

 Kinahan by Mr. Patterson, and we have received from the former 

 gentleman a full description, which leaves no doubt of the identity 

 of the species. The same accurate observer has informed us of the 

 capture ol another specimen at Belvoir Park, County Down, several 

 years since, and now in his possession." 



The first locality given is inaccurate, at least if we are to judge 

 by Dr. Kinahan's paper on this bat, read before the Dublin Natural 

 History Society in 1860, and reported in their 'Proceedings.' 

 I give an extract from the paper: — 



" Habitat unknown. Localities : Belvoir Park, Co. Down ; Bel- 

 fast, Co. Antrim, July, 1858. Habits : according to Mr. Darragh's 

 account, with whom the last-quoted specimen lived for ten days, it 

 was at first shy, but afterwards became tame, and fed readily. * * * 

 He obtained it living from a man who knocked it down with a 

 fishing-rod in Blackstaff-lane, Belfast. * * * The species seems 

 to be rare everywhere, as according to the authorities it is rare in 

 museums." 



Mr. Darragh, through whose instrumentality the above specimens 

 were recorded, informs me that in 1868 a third specimen was taken 

 in the suburbs of Belfast. However, now that we know the hairy- 

 armed bat is tolerably plentiful, at least in one locality in the 

 counties surrounding Belfast, it will be the less necssary in future 

 to record the capture of solitary individuals when they occur in 

 that part of Ireland. 



Further on it is said : — " Of the hiding-place of the Leisler's 

 bat we know nothing from our own observation ; but, from its 

 appearing more frequently near villages than elsewhere, are led to 

 suspect that it is not, like the nodule, a tree-loving species. * * * 

 Teniminck says that this bat habitually retreats to the holes of 

 trees in the vicinity of stagnant water, a statement the accuracy of 

 which we are much disposed to question." 



We see that Mr. Tomes' suspicion proves erroneous, and that the 

 hairy-armed bat is a tree-loving species, like the noctule. Tera- 

 minck's statement is probably accurate. Where the hairy-armed 

 bat hybernates I do not venture to say. Mr. White could discover 

 none in February last among the beech trees. 



Before concluding, I would just point out a strange inconsistency 



