74 Whitaker : Notes on Bats. 



re-capture it, it allowed us to approach within a couple of 

 yards several times. Once or twice it appeared to almost 

 settle on the ground. I was very much interested, and pleased 

 to again see my lost pet, more than five weeks after its escape, 

 yet within fifty yards of the place where I had kept it. 



Records of the occurrence of the Hairy-armed Bat 

 (P. Icidevi) in Yorkshire are few,* and any new ones are 

 consequently of interest. T have recently had the pleasure of 

 examining six preserved specimens, three of which were 

 in the possession of Mr. G. Parkin of Wakefield, and the 

 others in that of Mr. W. G. Chambers of Stanley. All were 

 taken at the same time, i.e. towards the end of September 

 1902, at Oulton near Rothwell, where they were found in the 

 roof of a cottage along with 'about forty others,' all 

 'apparently of the same species.' I was interested to find 

 that of the six preserved specimens I examined, three were 

 apparently males and three females. Probably all the bats in 

 this large colony were Hairy-armed Bats ; the six I examined 

 were all undoubted examples of this species. 



Every note I have been able to make with regard to this 

 species and the nearly allied but far more abundant Noctule 

 (P. uoctula) confirms the opinion that the following 

 peculiarity is habitual to them. Both species seem to gather 

 in large colonies for hibernation, and these colonies are most 

 often found occupjdng the roofs of buildings. They seem to 

 comprise individuals of each sex in about equal numbers. In 

 spring they split up into much smaller colonies, and usually take 

 u}) arboreal quarters. These summer colonies will almost in- 

 variably be found to consist chiefly, if not entirely, of bats of 

 one sex. Referring to my diary for confirmation of this, I 

 find that every note I have made on these species, without a 

 single excejition. goes to support the statement. Take, for 

 instance, the following : — 



i 14/7/08. — Hole in beech tree, Rockley, Colony Noctules 10 M., i F. 

 5/9/06. — Hole in beech tree, Stainbrough, Colony Noctules, 7 F., i M. 

 22/8/06. — Hole in oak tree, near Barnsley, Colony Hairy-armed, 7 F. 

 20/7/06. — Hole in beech tree, Rockley, Colony Noctules, 8 M. 

 29/6/07. — Hole in beech, Rockley, Colony Noctules, 22 M., 2 F. 

 13/5/04. — Hole in beech, Stainbrough, Hairy-armed Bats, 2 M. 



These are only some of many notes, all indicative of the 



same habits. To multiply instances is unnecessary and. would 



only occupy too much space. 



* See my notes on this species in ' Naturalist,' 1907, pp. 384, 385, etc. 



Naturalist, 



