1907.] WINTER-HABITS OF CAVE-HAUNTING BATS. 323 



lontha ; in one pellet there were portions of the elytra of a 

 Geodephagous beetle, possibly of the genus Amara, and in another 

 what appeared to be Dytiscus. 



The fragments of Lepidoptera were difficult to identify, but a 

 number of abdominal segments, scales, hairs, antennae, eyes, and 

 eggs were from moths of the family I^octuidce. 



One pellet was almost entii-ely composed of the remains of 

 Diptera. Mr. Newstead remarks, " including portions of the 

 wings of a large Muscid with metallic green body, possibly Liijcilia 

 or allied genus." This green fly was present in seven pellets ; the 

 remains of other Diptei-a were in three or four pellets. 



In one pellet was " a portion of the wing of a Hymenopteron 

 remarkably like Vespa." 



One pellet was entirely composed of the remains of a caddis-fly. 

 In December and January I found a caddis-fly on the wing at 

 Cheddar, and I picked up the remains of one amongst the 

 fragments in the Long Hole. 



The spider-remains were of a large species, probably the cave 

 Meta ; I found remains of this spider, certainly dropped by the 

 bats, in the caves. 



Mammalian hairs, probably those of a bat, were present in one 

 pellet. 



In 100 pellets, taken from below the fissure in the Long Hole, 

 whence we watched bats emerge, about 48 per cent, of the remains 

 were of Geotriopes, and a smaller percentage of a large brown 

 species, possibly Melolontha. This dung was dry ; we may 

 conclude, not only from the presence of a summer flying beetle 

 (presuming that it was Melolontha) but from the condition of the 

 dung and the large size of the heap, that the fissure is occupied 

 in summer. 



Fifty pellets taken from a shallow wide-mouthed cave and 

 evidently dropped recently, contained about 98 per cent, of metallic 

 fragments of the abdomen and basal segments of the legs of 

 Geotrupes. 



One hundred recent pellets from the Long Hole were composed 

 of about 90 per cent, of remains of Geotrupes. 



It would thus appear that during the winter months beetles of 

 the genus Geotrupes form the chief food of the Greater Horseshoe 

 Bat, and that in summer Lepidoptera and Coleoptera are devoured 

 in, approximately, equal quantities. 



The following parasites were on Bats which I obtained at 

 Cheddar : — 



Nycterihia hermanni Leach. From two examples of Rhinolophus 

 hipposidei'us. Identified by Mr. Percy H. Grimshaw. 



Eschatocephah(,s vespertilionis (C. L. Koch). On Rhinolophv.s 

 feri-uin-eqv.imim, Rhinolophus hipposiderus, and Myotis 

 mystacinus. The Ticks, all females, wei-e identified by 

 Mr. A. S. Hirst. 



