THE LESSER HORSESHOfi BAT 261 



faecal matter in the intestines, until the resumption of an 

 active existence in spring." 



As in the case of the previous species, the observations of 

 Messrs R. Rollinat and E. L. Trouessart in the Department 

 of Indre, France, throw much light on the breeding habits. 

 They find, for instance, that during the period of gestation 

 and of rearing the young, the breeding females of these delicate 

 creatures — the most delicate, as the authors think, of all 

 European bats — forsake the companies of powerful Greater 

 and Euryale^ Horseshoes with which they have spent the 

 winter. They are often accompanied by males of their own 

 kind, but, apart from these, the only strangers allowed to asso- 

 ciate with them are a few Notch-eared Bats.^ 



Unfortunately, little is known of these important matters 

 for this country. Mr T. W. Proger* had one born in captivity 

 on 20th June in South Wales, and several females which 

 he examined were about to become mothers at that date. 

 On the other hand, Mr Whitaker* found fully-developed 

 embryos in dead females from Somerset on 14th and 24th 

 July. The breeding season is, therefore, a long one, but in 

 other respects is probably similar to that of the larger species. 

 In France, Messrs Rollinat and Trouessart find that this is 

 the case, but the winter retreats are deserted at a slightly 

 later date, so that the period of gestation and the date of 

 birth of the young are delayed accordingly. 



In France the first young one was found with its mother on 

 13th July, but others had evidently been born at some time 

 previously. The mothers, if frightened, will deposit their 

 young in a safe place and attempt to escape without them. 

 By 25th August lactation seems to have finished, and the 

 young are nearly as big as their mothers, who are now in poor 

 condition. Soon afterwards the nursing parties disperse to 

 the caverns, where the winter is spent ; in September they 

 regain their condition, and in October they pair again. 



These authors remark on the frequent presence at all 

 seasons of very thin individuals, in contradiction to the fact 

 that both sexes of the Greater Horseshoe are always very fat. 



' R. euryale of Blasius. ^ Myotis emarginatus. 



^ In lit. ^ Naturalist, March 1907, 74, etc. 



