234 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The supposed Serotine in the Newcastle Museum. — In 1884 

 I communicated to the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalists' Society' a list of 

 the Mammalia of the county of Norfolk, and, in instituting a comparison 

 between the various published lists for the eastern portion of England from 

 the Thames to the Tweed, I ventured to express an opinion (like yourself 

 at p. 171 siqna) that the Serotine mentioned in Messrs. Meunell and 

 Perkins's ' Catalogue of the Mammalia of Northumberland and Durham ' 

 as having been killed at Cleadon would prove to be a Noctule. In August 

 of the same year I paid a visit to the Newcastle Museum, and, through 

 the kindness of Mr. J. Hancock, had an opportunity of examining the 

 specimen in question, which proved to be, as you suggest, a Noctule. A 

 note on the subject, contributed by Mr. W. D. Roebuck, will be found in 

 the 'Naturalist' for April, 1885, p. 202. This is, I believe, the first 

 recorded occurrence of the Noctule in the county of Durham, but Mr. 

 Eoebuck states that it is a common and widely diffused species throughout 

 Yorkshire. In my notes on this species I find the earliest record I have of 

 its appearance is March (no day), on one occasion only, but in most years 

 about April 20lh ; whilst in 1871 I saw several on the evening of Sept. 

 19th; on another occasion others on Oct. 23rd; and in 1872 Mr. Frank 

 Norgate sent me a specimen which he shot at Sparham on Nov. 5th. — 

 T. Southwell (Norwich). [Some further notes on this subject unavoidably 

 stand over. — Ed.] 



Reported Occurrence of Vespertilio murinus in Dorsetshire. — In 

 your remarks on British Bats (p. 161) I am credited with having noted 

 this species amongst the Bats occurring in Dorsetshire, but I cannot 

 recollect having ever reported it. It has occurred to me, however, that you 

 may have seen Vesjiertilio murinus recorded in my father's remarks on the 

 ' Fauna of Dorsetshire ' (first series, vols. 2, 3, and 4). If so. his notes are 

 intended to refer to the Common Pipistrelle. The following I believe to 

 be a correct list oF the Bats found in Dorsetshire: — Vesperugo noctula, 

 which is common (I found several some years ago in a hole of an old walnut 

 tree); Vesperugo pipislrellus, which is also common; Vespertilio natter eri; 

 V. dauhentonii (abundant); V. mystacinus ; Plecotus auritus (not common); 

 Synotus barbastellus, also not common, though a few were found in the 

 tower of the church when it was restored in 1875 ; and lastly Wiinolophus 

 ferrum-equinum. — C. W. Dale (Manor House, Glanvilles Wootton). 



[The occurrence of R. ferrum-equinum in Dorsetshire is mentioned in 

 Bell's ' British Quadrupeds ' (2nd ed. 1874, pp. 92, 93), in a communication 

 from Mr. James Salter, who saw several and captured one in the haunted 

 room at Tomson Manor House in September, 1865. — Ed.] 



Change of Habits in the Brown Rat. — The habits of the Brown Rat 

 in England are sometimes very similar to those which it is said (p. 180) to 

 have assumed in New Zealand. This is especially the case in summer, at 



