1901.] 



BEOHSTEIXS BAT. 



217 



shown in the illustration (text-fig. 20), which is a woodcut made 

 direct from a photograph taken soon after death. This proves 

 how misleading are the pictures on pp. 40, 41 of ' Bell,'' whose 

 artist evidently drew his examples from dried skins, and that 

 naturalist himself describes the ears as ••oval" which they certainly 

 are not. 



Text-fie. 20. 



VespertUio bechsteini. 



The Bat, when captured, showed itself to be very wide awake : 

 it resented disturbance in the usual bat-fashion by biting and 

 uttering a series of querulous Bcreeches not unlike that emitted by 

 a young child. 



Tins second occurrence of Bechstein's Bat iu the British Islands 

 should now set at rest any doubts that have been expressed as to 

 its claim to be a British mammal ; for even so eminent an authority 

 a- Mr. Lydekker has expressed his opinion that the species baa 

 •■a irery doubtful claim to rank in our fauna." The first examples 

 of this Bat which occurred in England were taken many years ago 

 in the New Forest bj Mr. Millard, and are now in the British 

 M useum. 



