326 Whitaker : Notes o?i the Breeding Habits of Bats. 



gfave them about ten mealworms each. For a week or two 

 I found it necessary to give them this food from my fingers, and 

 water to drink from a camel's hair brush. Later they learnt to 

 feed themselves if the water and mealworms were put into the 

 cag-e. 



I did not expect these pipistrelles to pair in captivity, nor 

 did I ever see anything to make me think that they were at all 

 likely to do so. Unfortunately I concluded when the end of 

 June came without shjwing any result that my experiment was 

 a failure, and the two males and two of the females were 

 removed and sent away for preservation; nor have I, I am 

 sorry to say, the exact date when this was done. Of the 

 remaining three females two escaped on the 15th of July, whilst 

 I and my friend Mr. Wakefield (to whose kindness I am indebted 

 for the photographs illustrating this article) were endeavouring 

 to get a snapshot of them ' feeding' out of doors. 



The only other female had died the previous day, and upon 

 examination it was found to contain a small embryo, probably 

 not more than half developed. We were much astonished to 

 discover this, and I had apparently concluded too soon that 

 I was not going to obtain young. Had more careful note of 

 dates and observations been made, some light might have been 

 obtained as to the period of gestation, which, I am inclined to 

 think, is exceptionally long for the size of the creature. 



On 28th June of the present year, Mr. Armitage and I were 

 informed of a colony of Bats which had just taken up their 

 residence in the hole of a beech tree at Stainbrough, from which 

 we had taken seven male Noctules {Vesperugo noctiila) during 

 the summer of 1904. On the 29th we visited the tree in 

 question, arriving at dusk, and only just succeeded in getting 

 a butterfly net over the hole as the Bats, which were then 

 squeaking loudly, began to emerge. Mr. Broadhead, the 

 woodman, who had informed us of the Bats, and through whose 

 kindness we have obtained many examples at various times, in- 

 formed us that he had counted 24 as they left the hole at dusk the 

 previous evening. This was about the number that we estimate 

 came into the net on the 29th, but unfortunately they managed 

 to tear a hole in the net, and a number escaped, so that we only 

 secured twelve individuals, all Noctules, eleven males and one 

 female. After all the Bats had apparently come out of the hole, 

 I put in my arm and felt round the top, and there I discovered 

 a young one hanging on the roof (see Plate XXII., Fig. i and 2). 

 It was blind and naked, and we concluded at the time that it 



Naturalist, 



