Tiii<: TjAij(;io bkown i^at. 



In flisj^ht this species is i-eadily distinguished by its small size 

 ;ind the weak fluttering of its wings which makes it resemble a but- 

 terfly rather than a bat. The animals are so small and weak that 

 they certainly can not capture and eat large beetles or other large 

 insects. Their food pi'obably consists chiefly of small diptera and 

 moths. The species usually flies high over the open flelds when 

 feeding. Tliesc^ bats readily learn to eat fresh meat when in cap- 

 tivity. 



The Georgian l)at usually clings to the side walls of the higher 

 passages while in the caves. It is less active than the other species 

 of cave bats. Observations in the caves at Mitchell d\iring the win- 

 ter of 1906-7 showed that Myotis lucifugus rarely stayed in one' 

 spot more than a week, while PipistrclUiS often slept in one spot for 

 a month. Hibernation is not uninterrupted in either species, how- 

 ever. 



Genus Eptesicus Rafinesque. 



Eptesicus Rafinesque, Annals of Nature, p. 2, 1820. 



Dental formula.— I, rjl!'; C, \z\; Pm, ~; M, !gj = 32. 



Generic characters. — Size large (in American species) ; muzzle 

 broad; ears and membranes thick and leathery, the former of mod- 

 erate length and rather narrow ; tragus broad, but pointed. The 

 skull is very large and heavy, broad and flat on top, with a nearly 

 straight dorsal profile ; teeth large and strong. 



The bright brown color, large size and heavily built body serve 

 to distinguish this genus from any other found in this region. The 

 strong, flat skull and the dental formula also differ from those of 

 any other bat of this region. 



This genus has been generally called Vespcrtllio by the more re- 

 cent writers. IMiller* has, however, restricted the latter name to two 

 European species. Under his arrangement, Eptesicus contains 

 about 45 species of very general distribution. One species, with 

 five subspecies, is North American. 



EPTESirTTS FTTsri'S (Reaiivois). 

 LARGE BROWN BAT. 



Vespertilio fuse us Beauvois, Catalog Peale's ^luseum, p. 14, 

 1796. 



Adelonycteris fuscus Evermann and Butler, Proc. Ind. Acad. 

 Sci. for 1S98,' ]). 184, 1894. 



* Families and genera of bats, Bulletin 57 of the U. S. National Museum, p. 208. 



