BECHSTEIN'S BAT 173, 



1902. Vespertilio BECHSTEINII GHIDINII, Victor Fatio, Rev. Suisse de ZooL, 10, 



400; see Mottaz, Bull. Soc. Zool. (Geneva), Nov. 15, 1908, 160; described from 



Gerso, near Lugano, Tessin, Switzerland. 

 igo6. Myotis bechsteini favonicus, Oldfield Thomas, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 



Sept., 220 ; described from La Granja, Sierra de Guadarranja, Central Spain. 

 1910. Myotis (myotis) bechsteini, E.-L. Trouessart, Faune des Mammiflres 



d'Europe, 30. 



Distribution : — The exact range of Bechstein's Bat is little known, 

 but it certainly occurs from Sweden to central Spain and from England 

 to Hungary. In Britain it is only known from England, its occur- 

 rences wherein are detailed below. 



Distribution in time : — Remains of bats from the Pleistocene 

 deposits of Ightham Fissure, Kent, were assigned by E. T. Newton to 

 this species, or, possibly, to M. murinus = myosotis {Quart. Journ. Geol. 

 Soc, August 1899, 420). 



The period of gestation is unknown ; the number of young is 

 probably one only, born in midsummer (Blasius ; C. L. Brehm). 



Description : — Bechstein's is the largest British member of its genus. 



The ear is long and unnotched (Fig. 2, No. 7, p. 7). When laid for- 

 ward, it stretches beyond the tip of the nose by about half its length ; the 

 outer margin is very slightly flattened beneath the tip, then convex to 

 a point very nearly opposite the base of the tragus, then slightly 

 emarginate and terminating in a small convex lobe ; the inner margin 

 is convex for the lower two-thirds of its length, and then straight or 

 slightly concave to a rounded point : there are nine or ten cross-folds. 



The tragus (Fig. 2, No. 7, p. 7) attains its greatest breadth at a point 

 close to its base ; it is curved outwards above, and tapers to an acute 

 point at about opposite to the middle part of the ear ; the inner margin 

 is straight below, slightly convex above ; the outer margin is quite 

 distinctly concave above, markedly convex below, terminating after an 

 emargination in a small triangular basal lobe. 



The wing (Plate XIII., Fig. 2) arises from the base of the toes. 

 In the two New Forest specimens the third and fifth metacarpals are 

 about of equal length, but in those from the Isle of Wight the third is 

 slightly the longer of the two. The thumb is long ; the area of wing 

 between digits two and three is large ; the tail-tip is free of the inter- 

 femoral membrane. The most conspicuous features are the exceptionally 

 long lower leg, but comparatively short longest digit. With a forearm 

 about equal in length to that of Nyctalus leisleri, the lower leg is but 

 little shorter than that of Vespertilio serotinus, but the longest digit 

 and expanse are far short of those of either, while the third and fifth 

 metacarpals are about equal to those of B. barbastellus. 



As compared with the forearm, the lower leg is only equalled or 

 exceeded in Plecotus or Barbastella. The third metacarpal and longest 

 digit are the shortest amongst British vespertilionid bats. 



Q 2 



