Family VESPERTILIONID^. 



Genus Barbastella. 



THE BARBASTELLE. 



Barbastella barbastellus, Schreber. 

 Plate 2. 



In the opinion of Professor Bell [British Quadrupeds)^ the Barbastelle 

 appears to form a link between the Horse-shoe and the Long-eared Bats. 

 It has only one near ally, namely B. darjilingensis^ inhabiting the 

 Himalayas. 



The wings are fairly broad and measured from tip to tip when expanded 

 io| inches in a specimen captured by myself, but larger examples are 

 given by Major Barrett-Hamilton. 



The ears, a distinguishing feature in this species, are rather broad and 

 roughly square-shaped, nearly touching each other on their inner margins 

 which arise from the middle of the forehead. 



The tragus is large, reaching more than half-way up the ear, and has 

 a protuberance near the base of its outer margin. The lower leg is 

 comparatively long, allowing a large interfemoral membrane, whilst the 

 feet are small. 



The fur is soft and fine, conspicuously dark, almost black in colour, but 

 having a hoary appearance especially on the flanks, which are tinged and 

 frosted with grey. The ears, face, and wing membranes are dusky black. 

 Millais mentions a form of a deep red-brown in colour. 



The teeth are thirty-four in number. 



