363 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



The species is the largest known in this country. These measured, from 

 tip to tip of the wings, from eight to ten inches, and the only sign of life 

 was the exhibition of formidable teeth. Put into a cage and warmed they 

 became animated, and were set at liberty." Supplementary to this notice, 

 Mr. T. H. Nelson added the statement (to7n. cit. p. 173) that Mr. C. E. 

 Morgan, of the Flats, near Bishop Auckland, shot a Noctule while flying 

 over the pond at the Flats during the summer of 18B5. It remains to be 

 ascertained whether any confirmation can be obtained of the reported 

 occurrence of this species in Scotland. — J. E. Harting. 



Food of the Greater Horse-shoe Bat.— I send you some wings of 

 Lepidoptera for identification from " the larder" of tlie Greater Horse-shoe 

 Bat. The insects must have been captured on the wing or snatched off 

 the leaves of trees (as is the habit of the Long-eared Bat), and after being 

 carried to the captor's retreat (a cave near Tavistock) the wings, on 

 being bitten off, fell to the ground, where they were picked up. — A. H. 

 Macphkrson (13, Kensington Gardens Square, W.). 



[We have counted thirty-six wings belonging to four species of moth, 

 namely, the Common Yellow Underwing, Trlplicena pronuba, the Broad- 

 bordered Yellow Underwing, TriphcBim fimbria, the Pearly Underwing, 

 Agrotis saucia, and the Herald Moth, Scoliapteryx Ubatrix. It seems a 

 little curious that such large insects should be taken by so small a mouth, 

 but the wings being clipped off, the bodies no doubt would be easily 

 disposed of. — Ed.] 



Small Rorqual at Plymouth. — On May 16th a young female Lesser 

 Rorqual, BalcBnoptera rostrata (Fabricius), was exhibited by some fishermen 

 about the streets of Plymouth in a cart. It had been taken entangled in a 

 mackerel drift-net by the Lowestoft fishing-smack ' Blue Bell' the previous 

 week. The following are some of its dimensions : — Total length, from 

 centre of tail to point of upper jaw around curve, 12 ft. 7i in. ; the mouth 

 was propped open, but the men said the lower jaw projected four or five 

 inches beyond the upper when closed, making it then fully 13 feet long ; 

 len'^th of gape, 3 ft. 1 in. ; width across mouth at gape, 1 ft. 9 in. ; length 

 of eyelids, 3 in., the eye being placed just above tlie angle of the gape; 

 from point of snout to insertion of flipper, 3 ft. 4 in. ; length of flipper, 

 1 It. 10 in. ; width of ditto, 6 in. ; from point of snout to insertion of dorsal 

 fin, (5 ft. 4 in. ; width of dorsal fin, 8 in. ; length of ditto, 8 in. ; width of 

 caudal fin, 3 ft. 1 in. ; blowholes, two longitudinal slits 4 inches long and 

 close together, situated at 1 ft. 8 in. from point of snout. The whalebone 

 was only a few inches long, of a pale flesh-colour, fringed with whitisli hair. 

 The flippers were traversed by the white band which is distinctive of this 

 species. The weight was estimated at 17 cwt. I have secured the skull 

 and cervical vertebrae for the Museum of the Plymouth Institution. The 



