26 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Notes on the Noctule (Vesperugo noctula). — Of the many Great 

 Bats I have measured, the spread of wings varies from 14jin. to 15 in., 

 but 14J in. is the usual expanse. On May 10th, 1875, I examined a 

 Woodpecker's old nesting-hole about thirty feet from the ground in a 

 Scotch pine, and took from it three Great Bats, two of which were 

 females, and one a male. Two more Bats, which appeared to be of the 

 same species, flew out of the hole ; so there were five, if not more, in 

 it. On June 8th, 1877, in an old nesting-hole of the Nuthatch, I found 

 three male Great Bats ; a fourth Bat escaped. — F. Norgate (20, Aner- 

 leyPark, S.E.). 



Long-eared Bat at Great Yarmouth. — In October last I had a 

 specimen of this Bat [Plecotus auritus) brought to me, which had 

 been taken in a house in the town. It. soon made itself at home, 

 and two days after would take flies from my fingers. I used to let it 

 fly about the kitchen during the evening. It was fond of hanging by 

 its hind claws to the linen-line, as it looked about for flies, and waving 

 its ears in all directions. Its favourite food was short pieces of small 

 worms, cut up with scissors. I lost it, however, one evening about 

 nine weeks afterwards. — P. E. Eumbelow (2, Napoleon Place, Great 

 Yarmouth). 



The Black Rat at Yarmouth. — The two local races of the Black 

 Rat (Mus rattus rattus and M. r. alexandrinus) appear to be increasing 

 in numbers, several fresh haunts having been brought to my notice. 

 Some young specimens of alexandrinus have been through my hands, 

 and all appear to have darker tails than the adults, apparently due to 

 the black hairs being closer together. I have recently had a fine old 

 male of the M. r. rattus variety brought me, which had some time 

 previously lost its left hind foot. The tibia had been broken through 

 at about the middle, and the muscles had healed at the knee, leaving 

 about a quarter of an inch of clean bone projecting. The end of the 

 bone was worn and polished, and the animal bore rather a ludicrous 

 resemblance to a man with a wooden leg. The Rat was in good con- 





