( 185 ) 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



MAMMALIA. 



Bats in Berkshire. — The artificial cave at Park Place, in Remenham 

 parish, on the Berkshire side of the Thames, about a mile and a half 

 from Henley, became known to zoologists through a note by Mr. J. G. 

 Millais in P.Z.S. 1901, ii. p. 216, announcing the capture there by 

 Mr. Heatley Noble and himself of an example of Bechstein's Bat, 

 which was said to be only the second occurrence of that species in 

 Great Britain. Apparently, however, this was in reality the fourth 

 occasion on which the species has been identified in this country. The 

 first record is that by Bell (both editions), of " specimens taken by 

 Mr. Millard in the New Forest, and now in the British Museum." 

 From the date of publication of the first edition, this took place previous 

 to 1837. The second record is by Mr. E. W. H. Blagg, in ' The Zoolo- 

 gist,' 1888, p. 260, who found about a dozen of these Bats in the New 

 Forest, in July, 1886, one of which was submitted to, and identified by, 

 Mr. Oldfield Thomas.- In ' The Zoologist,' 1887, p. 162, and 1888, 

 p. 260, two Bats in the collection of the late Mr. F. Bond, from 

 Preston, near Brighton, are stated to be of this species ; but Mr. 

 W. C. J. R. Butterfield, in the 'Victoria History of Sussex,' i. p. 301, 

 states that they are " undoubtedly assignable to M. natter erV But 

 on July 28th, 1896, he shot " an old male " Bechstein " near Norman- 

 hurst, Bath," " and its identification was confirmed by the late Sir 

 William H. Flower. The specimen is now in the Hastings Museum." 

 On Feb. 14th last, I met Dr. E. A. Wilson, late surgeon, zoologist, 

 and artist of the ' Discovery ' Antarctic Expedition, at Henley Station, 

 and drove him on to Temple Combe, whence Mr. Heatley Noble guided 

 us to the cave on the adjoining property of his mother, Mrs. Noble, at 

 Park Place. On the way Mr. Noble pointed out a hollow beech fre- 

 quented by Noctules ; also a nest-box quite close to his house, generally 

 tenanted by Dormice. Subsequently, on March 26th, Mr. Noble found 

 five Noctules in a beech which was felled. The cave was excavated in 

 the chalk on the high bluff forming the edge of the river valley some 

 time between 1751 and 1795 by General Conway, who then owned the 



-■' See also the ' "Victoria Histor ' for Hants, i. p. 240; and for Bucks, i. 

 p. 155. 



