538 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



not good, so I was obliged to resort to more favourable con- 

 ditions in order to obtain the result here portrayed. On both 

 occasions the bats were hibernating, but awoke on the slightest 

 provocation ; and when removed from the cave became very active 

 and readily took to wing. On April 12th, at 1.30 p.m., the tem- 

 perature of the Cefn cave, about twenty yards from the entrance, 

 was 9° C, just 1*25° C. colder than the shade temperature 

 outside. 



I placed my captives in a well-ventilated cage in a suitable 

 atmosphere, but the frail little creatures died in a few days. 

 When sleeping they cling most tenaciously to the rock, and the 

 feet are placed somewhat closely together, rarely are they widely 

 separated ; but I noticed one example hanging for a long time 

 with its legs completely crossed. With the exception of the 

 upper portion of the head with the tips of the ears and a narrow 

 dorsal space, the animal is completely enshrouded in its wings. 

 Sometimes the head is also covered, but the space between the 

 fore arms is always exposed. The fingers bend suddenly inwards 

 at the joints, and all meet on the ventral parts of the body, where 

 they, together with the membrane, form an irregular pentagon. 

 The anomalous position of the tail is noteworthy ; it is reflexed 

 over the back with its accompanying membrane closely over- 

 lapping the wrinkled membrane of the legs, thus forming a deep 

 narrow trough : an excellent apparatus to carry off any drops 

 of water that might fall upon it from the roof of its habitat. 

 Viewed in profile, the animal bears a remarkable resemblance to 

 the pupa of a butterfly, and is altogether a most interesting little 

 creature to study. 



An examination of their rejectamenta showed that they had 

 been feeding, almost exclusively, upon the smaller species of 

 Lepidoptera ; there were fragments of other insects, but I failed 

 to ascertain the order to which they belonged. A great deal 

 remains to be done with the structural details of this species, 

 but other pressing matters prevent my adding further to this 

 communication. 



