134 



VESPERTILIONID^— VESPERTILIO 



outer incisor. The anterior lower premolar attains to about half the 

 breadth and height of the posterior. 



Variation: — This species has always been regarded as to a high 

 degree variable, but it is probable that many of its phases will eventually, 

 under modern criticism, prove to be of geographically specific or sub- 

 specific value. Little more than a note of the various described forms 

 can here be given. Daday distinguishes a large Transylvanian sub- 

 species as transylvanus, and Cabrera one with the forearm measuring 

 5 1 mm. from the Balearics as insularis ; the same author's boscai from 

 the Mediterranean coast of Spain was based on a young serotinus 

 (Miller). A number of cream-coloured Asiatic bats have been referred 

 to serotinus, but at least those bearing the names isabellinus (Tem- 

 minck, 1827, forearm 41, from Tripoli), turcomanus (Eversmann, 

 1840, expanse about 200, from the Aralo - Caspian steppes), and 

 bottcB (Peters, 1869, forearm 40, from Botta, Arabia), are clearly not 

 conspecific. Mirza (Philippi, 1865, forearm 53), and shiraziensis 

 (Dobson, 1 87 1, forearm over 50), both from Persia, may represent 

 desert forms. Blanford's andersoni of Yunnan is said to have a smaller 

 foot, while Tomes' pachyomus (forearm 52) of India is a distinct bat 

 (Miller, Proc. Biol. Soc, Washington, xiii., 13th June 1900, 155-156). 

 Chinese examples are of dark coloration. 



DIMENSIONS IN MILLIMETRES:— 



Dowker {Zoologist, 1891, 426) gives the wing expanse of two Kent specimens as reaching 14-6 and 

 16 inches = 368'8 and 381 mm. 



Proportionate lengths (both sexes) : — Foot without claws, about -50 



