THE BARBASTELLE 



221 



When it is fine, they fly high and do not enter the church, prob- 

 ably sheltering themselves amongst the branches of the yew- 

 trees, but rain or wind drives them to seek the shelter of the 

 porch or tower, and to fly round the building with a slower and 

 more ponderous flight. 



Mr Forrest is inclined to believe that this bat is silent 

 while on the wing : at all events he has never heard it cry 

 in flight. When captured, however, "some of them made 

 the usual metallic squeaking noise, whilst one or two of them 

 made a noise very much like that of a huge bee held in a 

 handkerchief." They repeated these two distinct cries when 

 recaptured after having been released in a room. 



In captivity their demeanour varied, one readily consenting 

 to eat chopped steak, another refusing food, but none lived 

 for more than a few days. Mr Forrest remarks that they flew 

 against the window, but not with the blind dash of an 

 imprisoned bird. When walking or crawling they "straddled" 

 their limbs more than other bats, and their movements were slower. 

 He noticed that the head was habitually held downwards, so that 

 it was difficult to obtain a view of the curiously wizened face. 



More recently Mr Charles Oldham ^ has kept a bat of 

 this species alive in captivity for a few days, and remarks 

 that it had two notes, a querulous squeal of the usual bat- 

 like kind and a peculiar subdued buzzing. In a room its 

 flight was slow and fluttering, and it generally preferred 

 the upper part of the room, but occasionally flew close to 

 the ground amongst the legs of chairs and tables. In flight its 

 tail was extended and only slightly decurved ; the legs were 

 held wide apart, so that the interfemoral membrane looked very 

 large from beneath. As a rule, but not always, it turned in the 

 air like a Natterer's or Horseshoe Bat, before alighting. After 

 some preliminary difficulties it was induced to accept meal- 

 worms, but seemed to fear cockroaches. It preferred to eat on 

 the wing, but was not observed to call in the assistance of the 

 interfemoral pouch, the nature of its food probably making such 

 a course unnecessary. It was adroit in picking houseflies off 

 the ceiling. 



Four facts are thus demonstrated for the first time : 



I Zoologist, 1908, 391-392. 



