NATURAL HISTORY OF THE BERMUDAS. 335 



December i \th. — Mr. Dowries tells me he saw a Bat near 

 the head of Hamilton Water on the evening of the 9th inst, 

 and Mr. Marriott reports having seen one in the same 

 neighbourhood. 



September 2nd, 1849. — My neighbour, Mr. Barss (who 

 resides on the opposite side of the street, within a few yards 

 of my house) captured a Bat in the lumber yard adjoining 

 his house, last week, which he kept alive for some days, and 

 which subsequently made its escape. I did not see the 

 animal myself, but from the description given, it could be 

 no other than the Hoary Bat, a specimen of which, in my 

 possession, was particularly alluded to, as in every respect 

 resembling Mr. Barss' recent prize. 



This Bat must have been a stranger to this neighbour- 

 hood, where no animal of its kind has been seen for nearly 

 twelve months, and then a solitary one only. 



October 8tk, 1850. — A coloured man called at the office 

 this morning with a living Bat, which he had captured in a 

 tree near the Admiral's house. Believing it to be altogether 

 a new species in these islands, I purchased the specimen for 

 the purpose of examination. It measured eleven inches in 

 extent, by three and a half in length, including the tail. 

 The tip of the tail extending beyond the membrane The 

 body was covered with long hair, of a black or very dark 

 brown hue, tipped here and there with white, particularly 

 from each side of the neck, to the posterior portion of the 

 back, forming a whitish band, in the form of the letter V. 

 The under surface of shorter fur, sprinkled all over with 

 white hairs. 



Compared this specimen with a skin of Vespertilio prui- 

 nosus, which is very different. Consider the live Bat to be 



