PIPISTRELLE N’OCTULE. 
17 
wing-membranes dusky ; ears dusky, tragus lighter ; muzzle and under-jaws light 
flesh-colour. Lines in inter-femoral membrane — which, as before stated, is 
ciliated — eight (Bell says nine). Foot not free. Weight 90 grains. Length 
from nose to end of body 1'8 inches; tail 1'3 ; exserted portion of tail O'l ; 
from eye to nose 0'3 ; ear 0’7 ; tragus 0‘45 ; arm (excluding humerus) I'o; 
wing-membrane (excluding humerus), 3 9 ; extreme depth of wing, from inser- 
tion of thumb 2'0; extreme width across both wings lO'O; foot, with claw, 0‘3 ; 
thumb, with claw, 0'2o. 
PIPISTKELLE. Vesperugo pipistrellus (Schreber). 
“ Common Bat,’’ “ Flitter-^Iouse,” “ Hat Bat.” 
Kesident and commonly distributed. — Harley noticed that this species is 
often observed on the wing during the day, and remarked that in this it differs 
from the “Great Bat.” I received twelve from Belvoir on 13th July, 1885, 
and have procured several at Aylestone, Kibworth, Broughton Astley, and various 
parts of both counties, this species appearing, indeed, to be. pn?’ excellence, the 
“ Common ” Bat. Its strange name of “ Hat ” Bat, which I have heard commonly 
applied, appears to be founded upon the childish rhyming invitation to come 
under the would-be captor’s hat, and be feasted upon bacon ! 
NOCTULE. Vespenigo noctula (Schreber). 
“Great Bat,” High-flier,” “ Eat Bat.” 
Resident and generally distributed. — Harley remarked that this species 
appears to be most common in the vicinity of the town of Leicester, and is 
most often observed on still summer evenings. The Rev. A. Matthews told me 
in March, 1885, that one broiling hot day in July, some years before, at mid-day, 
when the air was perfectly bright and clear, he observed Swallows circling at an 
immense altitude, and above them, at a much higher elevation, four large Bats, 
which he supposed to be of this species.* Xo doubt this is the species (the Xoctule) 
about which the late Mr. Widdowson wrote me, on 12th FebruaiT, 1885, under the 
heading of “ Red Horse-shoe Bat ” t : — “ ^Te were cleaning up the church, and at 
the end of a beam there was a hole where it went into the wall. I could smell 
the Bats within (very warm and acrid) ; I put my arm in, then called the men 
for a cement-tub which stood near, and brought them out by handfuls, I should 
think thirty or more, and not one of them bit me. Being very busy, and 
not being much up in Bats, only knowing three or four at that time, I let 
them go ; but on describing them to a gentleman some time after, he said 
they were rare. They were of a ruddy-brown colour, nearly as big again as a 
* Although Gilbert ^\Tiite named this Bat alticolans, from this very habit of feeding high in 
the air (see Letter 36 to Pennant), yet his remarks did not apply to its doing this before the 
evening, and the observations of Rev. A. Matthews are, I believe, unparalleled in the history of 
this species. 
t Rhinoloplms fervum-equiuHni has — so far as I am aware — not yet occurred in the county. 
C 
