BATS IN NOETH LINCOLNSHIEE. 143 



this hour, if the evening be fine, it flies at a great height, but as 

 the darkness increases it is usually seen at a lower elevation. 

 In cold or windy weather also it seldom flies high. It generally 

 selects a hollow tree for a resting-place during the daytime, but 

 last summer I often noticed the appearance of several of these 

 Bats about a rookery composed chiefly of young trees, on which 

 I could detect no holes. The old gamekeeper, to whom I 

 mentioned the circumstance, said that he thought they came 

 out of the rooks' nests, as he had several times found Bats 

 among the loose sticks forming their foundations. The Noctule 

 is, I believe, the first of the Bats to retire in the autumn, and is 

 not often seen abroad after the end of August ; but during the 

 very hot weather of last autumn (1886) I saw several individuals 

 of this species almost every evening uj) to October 4th. This is 

 the latest date I have noted, though it has been recorded to have 

 been seen in November ('The Field,' Nov. 19th, 1881). The 

 loud harsh squeak of this Bat when flying overhead is well 

 known. I have heard it utter another note — a sort of prolonged 

 chirp — not unlike that of the Long-eared Bat. This is always 

 uttered when near the ground, usually when entering or leaving 

 its diurnal retreat. 



Scotophilus pijnstrellus. — This little Bat is excessively abun- 

 dant, greatly outnumbering all the other species put together. 

 It comes abroad early in the evening, though, unlike the Noctule, 

 it is seldom seen before sunset. The Pipistrelle is occasionally 

 seen abroad in winter, even in very cold weather. One was 

 observed flying round a cottage in the village of Grain shy on 

 January 10th last, a bright moonlight night with deep snow on 

 the ground. Yet, although a few may be seen abroad in every 

 month of the year, the majority disappear in October. 



Vespertilio nattereri. — The Eeddish-grey Bat is apparently 

 very rare in this district, as I have only met with it once. A 

 single specimen was picked up by one of the gamekeepers in a 

 grass-field near the village of Grainsby in July, 1876. It was 

 alive, but unable to fly, and died on the following day. Although 

 I have ever since looked out for this Bat, I have failed to meet 

 with it again. 



Vespertilio dauhentonii. — This species ought probably to be 

 described as local rather than rare, though at present I only 

 know of one locality where it is not uncommon. As many as 



