70 VESPEETILIONIDiE. 



important respect, externally, from the Vespertilio mysta- 

 cinus. 



The head is of medium length, the forehead somewhat 

 elevated, the occiput prominent; the muzzle is rather 

 pointed, slightly emarginate between the nostrils, which 

 are tumid, particularly at the upper and inner angle. 

 Face very hairy, so much so as to give the short and 

 thick appearance ; the hairs on the lip longer than the 

 others, forming a moustache ; and there is a similar row 

 across the forehead: the chin has also a few long and 

 stifEsh hairs. Ears shorter than the head, oblong, 

 rounded at the upper part, bending outwards, broad 

 at the base, rather deeply excavated at the outer 

 margin ; tragus rather more than half the length 

 of the ears, lanceolate, strait, a little expanded on the 

 outer margin near the base. Eyes small, and much con- 

 cealed by the hairs. Tail longer than the fore-arm, the 

 exserted portion about a line in length, curved. Fur 

 long and thick ; the hairs of the upper part of a dusky 

 black colour, excepting at the extreme tips, which are 

 shining rufous ; beneatli ash-grey at the tips, blackish 

 near the roots. Ears and flying membrane dusky, very 

 dark ; the transverse lines of the wings very numerous, 

 those of the interfemoral membrane being no fewer 

 than eighteen. Old and pregnant females, or those 

 having young ones, are often of a faded brown or rusty 

 colour on the upper parts, the lower parts being dirty 

 brownish white. This is the Vesp. emarginatus of 

 Macgillivray, described in his work on British Quad- 

 rupeds. Young individuals are sometimes almost black. 



Dimensions : — 



