THE NOCTULE, OR GREAT BAT 6i 



which he found in them were present " in the perfectly adult animal, 

 then the Irish specimens represent either a new species, or a curious 

 case of hybridization " (stc). The matter had not been settled at the 

 time of Dobson's death, but de Winton compared these Irish with English 

 individuals of N. leisleri, and found no difference between them (Alcock, 

 Irish Naturalist, 1899, 170-1). After careful examination, I find myself 

 entirely in agreement with de Winton, and in any case it is clear that 

 there exists no evidence for the occurrence of the Noctule in Ireland. 



It is possible that, as suggested to me by Moffat, this species may 

 have recently extended its range in Britain. The idea can only be 

 regarded as hypothetical, but the present distribution of the bat is 

 consistent with a comparatively recent arrival. Its range on the conti- 

 nent of Europe brings it into contact with greater cold than it could 

 experience in Scotland, and the absence of so widespread and power- 

 ful a flier from Ireland is intelligible on some such basis. Such 

 a supposition would be in concord with its reputed rarity at 

 Selborne in Gilbert White's time, its present abundance there, and its 

 recent appearance in Scotland. Moffat ingeniously adds that the much 

 shorter flying season reported by White would be natural in a species 

 newly arrived, which as it became acclimatised might be supposed to 

 extend its period of activity on the wing. 



Distribution in time : — Bones of this bat have been found in cave 

 deposits of pleistocene age at Banwell, Burrington Combe, and Hutton 

 (Woodward and Sherborn). 



Period of gestation : — Certainly not less than thirty-eight days 

 (Daniell, Proc. Zool. Soc, London, 1834, 129-132), but probably at least 

 forty-nine ; see above, page 33, and Whitaker on Pipistrelle. 



Number of young, and breeding season : — There is rarely more 

 than a single young one in Britain (see p. 80). It is born most usually 

 towards the end of June. 



Description: — The general form and appearance of the Noctule is 

 typically that of its genus. The forearm is massive, the lower leg 

 thick but short, the foot conspicuously powerful. 



The fur is soft and long. The face is thickly furred from behind 

 as far as the glandular prominences, and anteriorly the muzzle carries 

 a few long hairs. Upon the upper surface of the wing the fur extends 

 as far outwards from the body as a line drawn from the middle of the 

 humerus to the knee-joint, and on both surfaces of the interfemoral mem- 

 brane as far back as the middle point of the lower leg : on the under 

 surface the wing is rather thickly clothed as far as a line drawn from the 

 elbow to the knee-joint, and a band of fine short hair frequently, but 

 not always, passes behind the forearm to the carpus. The inner side 

 of the ear is covered with fine short hairs, which also appear upon the 

 tragus, and sparsely upon the reflected outer margin of the conch. 



