82 VESPERTILIONID^. 



solitary example, together with its absence from the 

 nearest parts of the Continent of Europe, lead us to 

 suspect that the specimen obtained may have been con- 

 veyed to Plymouth in the rigging of a vessel. That 

 Bats are so transported is more than mere surmise, as v^e 

 can scarcely in any other way account for the appear- 

 ance, in a living state, of a North American species 

 {Lasiurus pruinosus) in the Orkney Islands, where it was 

 obtained by the late Mr. J. Wolley. It is said to 

 frequent towns, and indeed has not been seen in any 

 other situations ; and it comes abroad early in the even- 

 ing. 



The north and north-eastern parts of Europe appear 

 to be its proper habitat, although we find no mention 

 made of it by Nilsson in his Scandinavian Fauna. 

 Eversman and Brandt severally include it in their works 

 on the Bats of the region of the Ural Mountains, and 

 on the Mammalia of Russia. 



This is one of the most beautiful species of European 

 Bats, from the richness of the prevailing colour of the 

 fur, its marbled appearance arising from the lighter 

 colour of the tips of the hairs, and the striking contrast 

 between the upper and lower parts. 



The forehead is broad and hairy ; the muzzle broad, 

 tumid, and very long ; the nose thick and broad, and the 

 lips tumid. The eyes are very small. The ears about 

 two-thirds the length of the head, rounded, oval, turned 

 outwards ; the outer margin approaching the corners of 

 the mouth, the inner margin with a distinct lobe at the 

 base ; the basal half of the ears hairy ; tragus little more 

 than one-third the length of the auricle, of equal breadth 

 throughout, a little curved, opaque, and naked. Tail ex- 

 serted for about three lines ; bands of the interfemoral 

 membrane, about nine or ten. 



