74 
NOTES ON THE BREEDING HABITS OF BATS. 
ARTHUR WHITAKER, 
Worsbrough Bridge, Barnsley. 
In the ‘ Naturalist’ for November, 1905 (pp. 325-330), I gavea 
few notes on this subject relating principally to the Noctule Bat 
(Ptervgtster noctula), and expressed a hope that I might be able 
to supplement them in the future. This I am now in a position 
to do. 
I entered upon 1906 with the firm intention of rearing some 
of our British Bats in captivity. I find, however, that the 
difficulties of doing this are very great, and once again have 
to record partial failure, though I have succeeded in carrying 
my observations a degree further than was the case last year. 
As this article deals with a number of incomplete observations, 
it will facilitate matters to enumerate these at once, and there- 
fore I here give a table of the instances which have come under 
my personal observation, during the past few years, of the 
breeding of bats. 
(1). Pipistrelle. Specimen accidently killed during last 
(Pipistrellus pipistrellus). week of July, 1901, contained a fully 
developed embryo, which would probably 
have been extruded within forty-eight 
hours. 
(2). ditto Specimen netted May 28th, 1905 (con- 
fined along with two males and two 
other females). Died on July 14th, 1905, 
and was then found to contain a very 
small embryo, probably not more than 
half developed. 
(3)- ditto Specimen caught June goth, 1906, gave 
birth to a single young one, July 2nd, 1906. 
(4). ditto Specimen caught June 7th, 1906, in the 
New Forest (confined along with one 
other female) gave birth to a young male 
on July 18th, 1906. 
(5)- ditto Specimen caught at Barnsley June 16th, 
1906 (confined along with last mentioned 
female) gave birth to a male on July roth, 
1906. 
(6). Noctule. Naked young male about a week old, 
(Plerygister noctula). taken from hole in a tree occupied by a 
colony of adults, Barnsley, June 29th, 
1905. 
(7)- ditto Adult female taken from above-men- 
tioned colony gave birth to a young male, 
June goth, 1905. 
(8). Lesser Horseshoe. Specimen taken Wells (Somerset), July 
(Rhinolophus hipposiderus). 20th, 1906. Died July 24th, 1906. Found 
to contain a fully developed embryo ready 
for extrusion. 
(9). Daubenton’s. Specimen taken Barnsley, June 1gth, 
(WZyotis daubentonz). 1906. Gave birth to a young female 
same night. 
Naturalist, 
