220 Description of Vespertilio Auduboni, 



Genus. — Taphozous— (Geoff.) — Without incisor teeth in the 

 upper jaw. Nose, simple ; upper lip, very thick ; ears, mod- 

 erate. 



Species 7 th. T, Rufus. Figured in Wilson's Ornithology, Vol. vi. 



Red Bat of Pennsylvania, 



With this little animal we are all familiar. The city and its vi- 

 cinity abound in them. The body is of a reddish cream co- 

 lour ; membranes of a dusky red ; auricule slender, rounded at 

 the extremity, and situated internally. Total length four in- 

 ches; spread of the wings twelve inches. 



Like other vespertilio, they enjoy the crepusculum, and are 

 fond of insects, which they seize on the wing. The female has 

 been known to manifest the strongest maternal affection ; a young 

 lad having caught two young bats of this species, was in the act 

 of bearing them off to the Philadelphia Museum, at mid-day ; — 

 being watched by the mother, she followed him through the 

 streets, fluttering round him, and eventually settled on his bosom, 

 preferring captivity, to freedom with the loss of her progeny. 



Species 8th. — Vespertilio Auduboni.— V\. 6. 



We propose to dedicate this new species, to our valuable friend, 

 the justly celebrated naturalist J. J. Audubon, as a small tribute 

 of respect to his eminent talents, and the highly important services 

 he has rendered science. The drawing which accompanies this 

 paper, is from his inimitable pencil. 



This species was first observed, during the summer of 1829, 

 when an individual female flew into the apartment of the late 

 Dr. Hammersly, then one of the resident physicians of the Penn- 

 sylvania hospital : on the subsequent evening a male individual, of 

 the same species, was also taken in the same manner. In August 

 1830, a very fine specimen was brought to the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, and Mr. Audubon informs me that the species 

 has very recently been observed in New York. 



Natural characters of the species. — General colour black, sprinkled 

 with gray above and beneath ; ears black and naked ; auricu- 

 lum, short and broad or obtusely triangular ; interfemoral mem- 

 brane, sparsely hairy ; last joint of the tail free : two incisors, 

 with notched crowns, on each side of the canine teeth of the 

 upper jaw, with a broad intervening space without teeth. 



