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NOTES AND QUERIES 



MAMMALIA. 



Barbastelle Bat (Barbastella barbastellus) in Wiltshire. — Through 

 the good offices of Mr. H. W. Robinson, of Caton, Lancaster, I 

 received, on October 21st, 1915, seven examples of the Barbastelle 

 bat. These bats had, by the direction of Mr. Robinson, been taken 

 by Mr. G. Gunning, Easton Farm, Sherston, Malmesbury, Wilts, and 

 reached me alive. I was much struck by the very peculiar " hissing " 

 noise made by the bats when disturbed, and this fact has already 

 been recorded by Mr. Charles Oldham in ' The Zoologist ' for 1908, 

 pp. 391-2. 



These seven examples proved to be five females and two males, 

 all of which appeared to me to be adults. 



This record constitutes, so far as I am able to gather, the second 

 record for the occurrence of the Barbastelle in Wiltshire, the only 

 previous record being a single example obtained at Salisbury in 1869 

 and recorded by Mr. Blackmore in ' The Zoologist ' for that year, 

 p. 1558 (Barrett-Hamilton, 'History of British Mammals,' p. 213). 



I am pretty sure Mr. Robinson, whilst staying down at Malmes- 

 bury, killed another specimen of the Barbastelle ; but, unfortunately, 

 the example was sent to a taxidermist, and it arrived in too far gone 

 a state to be preserved. 



It is interesting to note that a lapse of forty-six years has expired 

 since the last specimen of the Barbastelle was recorded from Wilt- 

 shire, and surely this shows how very scanty is the knowledge of 

 Bat-distribution in Great Britain. Our knowledge of Bats here in 

 North Lancashire, Westmorland, and Cumberland is very limited 

 indeed, and I would only be too pleased if fellow naturalists would 

 turn their attention to the bats in their respective neighbourhoods 

 and forward me any they may capture. — E. W. Smallet, F.Z.S., 

 M.B.O.U. (Challan Hall, Silverdale, Nr. Carnforth, Lanes.). 



AVES. 

 Bird Notes from South Wales. — January 23rd : Fourteen White- 

 fronted Geese in Thaw valley. 27th : About 70 wild geese (species 

 undetermined) in same district. 29th : Flock of over 100 wild geese 

 flew over Cardiff. February 27th : When out snipe-shooting I found 



