294 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



(4). Vespertilio mystacinus. — The Whiskered Bat is probably the most 

 abundant species in this district, being found in all sorts of situations, in 

 company with the Pipistrelle, which it very much resembles in some of its 

 habits. It differs considerably, however, in its choice of a hunting-ground 

 and in its flight, which is slow and steady as in F. daubentonii. The 

 Whiskered Bat comes abroad earlier in the evening than the last-named 

 species, and usually selects for its hunting-ground the sheltered ends of a 

 high hedge or plantation, or even a cliff, along which it flies to and fro, 

 seldom rising as high as the tops of the trees or rocks nearest to it. When 

 cri'ssing an open space it generally keeps close to the ground. I have never 

 observed this species frequenting the open places in woods of which the 

 Pipistrelle is very fond. 



(6). Plecotiis auritus. — Next to F. mystacinus this appeal's to be the 

 commonest bat in the district. Early in April last I observed a number of 

 Long-eared Bats frequenting a group of three tall silver-fir trees standing 

 close together among stunted oak and hazel bushes. On warm nights these 

 trees appeared full of bats, sometimes flying with the greatest rapidity 

 through the branches and sometimes hovering like great moths at the 

 extremities of the twigs. On going underneath the trees the bats presented 

 a still more curious sight : generally upwards of a score might be seen 

 moving about in the space of a few feet. They appeared frequently to 

 come in contact with the branches, but whether by accident or not I was 

 unable to ascertain. [They were doubtless taking insects oS" the leaves. — 

 Ed.] One which I shot at this place had a small leaf of the silver-fir in 

 its mouth. The food of the Long-eared Bat consists chiefly of moths, and 

 I believe small caterpillars are also taken by it. 



(0). Rhinolophiis Idpposideros. — The Lesser Horse-shoe Bat, though 

 generally distributed, is by no means a common species. It is apparently 

 strictly nocturnal in its habits, never coming abroad till it is quite dark, 

 and I can only recall one or two instances in which I have seen it on the 

 wing. During the day it may be seen hanging from the roofs of caves and 

 houses, always in the darkest part. I once saw several bats of this species 

 in the lower level of an old lead-mine, to gain access to- which they must 

 have descended a shaft fifty feet deep into an upper level, and after 

 traversing this, have passed through a small hole in the floor to the place 

 where I found them. On the few occasions on which I have seen this bat 

 abroad it was flying slowly close to the ground, somewhat in the manner 

 of F. iiiystacinus. — G. H. Caton Haigh (Aber-ia, Penrhyndendraeth, 

 Merionethshire). 



BIRDS. 

 Cliff-birds at Dover. — During the first week of July the fine chalk 

 cliffs between Dover, the South Foreland, and St. Margaret's Bay, present 

 a very animated appearance. Hundreds of Herring Gulls are nesting there, 



