318 University of California Publications in Zoology [Vou.17 
Synonymy and History—The brown bat was described by Peale 
and Beauvois (1796, p. 14) under the name Vespertila (perhaps mis- 
print for Vespertilio) fuscus from material collected at Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania. 
Eptesicus fuscus bernardinus was described by Rhoads (1901, 
p. 619) from a single specimen taken near San Bernardino, California. 
‘ 
This individual is described as ‘‘pallid bistre above, brownish drab 
below; .. . wing membranes and ears in bernardinus very dark.”’ 
Eptesicus fuscus melanopterus was described by Rehn (in Stone, 
19046, pp. 590-591) from five specimens obtained at Mount Tallac, 
“‘above rather 
dark cinnamon, lightest on the top of the head and at the shoulders. 
Under surface reddish wood brown. Membranes and face deep 
Eldorado County, California. The color is given as 
blackish.’’ 
As explained beyond, under General Remarks, the latter two 
names had best be kept in synonymy until better reasons have been 
brought forward than have so far been advanced for the recognition 
of more than one subspecies within the state. 
Distribution.—The range of this species extends over the whole 
of the United States and into British Columbia (Miller, 1897), p. 96). 
In California it oeeurs chiefly in the Upper Sonoran and Transition 
zones, where it has been found practically throughout the state. (See 
map, text-fig. Q.). 
Specimens Examined.—The writer has examined 278 specimens 
of the large brown bat from the following localities in California: 
Siskiyou County: Kangaroo Creek, 3; Mt. Shasta, 6 (U. 8. Nation. 
Mus., 3; Mus. Vert. Zool., 3); Shasta County: near Baird Station, 4 
(Mus. Vert. Zool., 1; U. C. Dept. Zool., 3); Potter Creek Cave, 2 
(U. C. Dept. Zool.) ; Humboldt County: Eureka, 8; Mendocino 
County: Sherwood, 2; Covelo, 1; Mt. Sanhedrin, 2 (Acad. Nat. Sci. 
Phila.) ; Tehama County: Mill Creek, 1; Yolo County: Rumsey, 1; 
Sacramento County: Folsom, 1 (Mus. Comp. Zool.) ; Colusa County : 
Snow Mountain, 1 (Stanford Univ.) ; Nevada County: Nevada City, 6 
(U. S. Biol. Surv.) ; Placer County: Colfax, 8 (Stanford Univ.) ; 
Eldorado County: Mt. Tallae, 5 (Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila.) ; Fyffe, 13; 
Limekiln, 6; Echo, 1 (Stanford Univ.); Placerville, 3 (Stanford 
Univ.) ; Fallen Leaf Lake, 1; Sonoma County: Cloverdale, 1 (U. 8. 
Nation. Mus.) ; Cazadero, 1; Guerneville, 3; Marin County: Nieasio, 
24 (U. S. Nation. Mus.); Alameda County: Sunol, 1 (U. S. Biol. 
Surv.) ; Niles Canon, 2 (Calif. Acad. Sei.) ; San Mateo County: Pes- 
