VESPERTILIONID^. 



TYPICAL INSECT-EATING BATS. 



These are bats without a nose-leaf; with a distinct tragus; 

 with a long tail and large interfemoral membrane ; without 

 palatal processes to the premaxillse, so that the bony palate is 

 defective anteriorly and the upper incisors are divided in their 

 midst by a wide space ; without expansion of the nasal 

 bones. 



The arrangement and classification of the Vespertilionidse 

 followed in the present volume differs widely from that of Bell. 

 The changes may be indicated by placing the two systems side 

 by side : — 



Belts system of li'ji,: — System of present work : — 



SCOTOPHILUS NOCTULA becomes Nyctalus NOCTULA. 



S. LEISLERI „ N. LEISLERI. 



s. pipistrellus 



s. serotinus 



Vespertilio Bechsteinii 



V. Nattereri 



V. Daubentonu 



V. mystacinus 



Plecotus auritus remains P. AURITUS. 



Barbastellus Daubentonii becomes B. barbastella. 



pipistrellus pipistrellus. 

 Vespertilio serotinus. 

 Myotis bechsteini. 

 M. nattereri. 

 M. daubentoni. 

 M. mystacinus. 



From the above list two doubtfully British species have been 

 omitted : the specific names of the remainder will be discussed 

 under their own headings. As regards the generic names, 

 Scotophilus was based by Leach {Trans. Linnean Soc, London, 

 xiii. 71-72, 1822) on S. kuhlii, a species quite different from 

 any of those mentioned above. It was, therefore, employed in 

 error by Bell. Vesperugo of Keyserling and Blasius, a substi- 

 tute for Scotophilus, has been shown by Mr G. S. Miller to be 

 inadmissible in any sense in zoology (see under genus Nyctalus). 



