74 
MAMMALIA. 
Vespertilio. The Egyptian species is represented to have small eyes ; but that figured by Gen. Hardwicke (Lin. 
Trans., vol. xiv. p. 525) possesses eyes proportionally as large as in a Squirrel, and we have examined skins of 
another species (chinchilla-grey above, pure white beneath), in which the same character must have been con- 
spicuous.] 
The Mormopes {Mormoops, Leach) — 
Have four incisors to each jaw, the superior rather large ; the inferior trilobate ; their skull (fig. 17) is 
singularly raised like a pyramid above the muzzle ; and on each side of the nose is a triangular 
membrane, which extends to the ear. 
The species M. Blainvillii^ Leach, is from Java. [It has since been received, together with two others of the 
same form (but considered by Gray as separable), from Jamaica; so that the former locality may be presumed to 
be wrongly assigned.] 
The ordinary Bats [to which this term may be restricted] {Vespertilio, Cuv. and Geof.) — 
Have no leaf or other distinctive mark on the muzzle, and the ears separated ; four incisors above, of 
which the two middle ones are apart, and six below, sharp-edged, and somewhat notched * : their tail 
is comprehended in the membrane. 
This subgenus is the most numerous of all, and universally distributed. There are six or seven species 
m France [more than double that number. Thirteen have now been met with in England, including the Barbastelle 
and Oreillard. The sexes and young of several congregate separately .f] 
• M. Rousseau, in a memoir on the anatomy of Fesp. murinus, 
states, of the two dentitions of this animal, that the first is developed 
before birth, the second not till some time afterwards. The foetal teeth, 
he remarks, are twenty-two in number ; namely, four incisors, two 
canines, and four molars to the upper jaw, and six incisors, two 
canines, and four molars to the lower one. The permanent teeth, in 
the adult, are thirty-eight in number ; of which twenty-two should 
replace the foetal or temporary teeth ; the sixteen others successively 
show themselves, later as their position is further backward. The 
permanent teeth do not wait to appear until their predecessors 
are shed, whence at a certain epoch forty or fifty teeth, or even more, 
may be counted in the same individual : this last fact we have ob- 
served in the instance of the common Fitchet Weasel. — En. 
t To facilitate the researches of the British naturalist, our known 
indigenous species may be briefly indicated : it is not unlikely that 
more remain to be discovered, as but few persons have hitherto be- 
stowed much attention on these lucifugal animals. 
The British species fall under two natural divisions. 
In the first, the tragus is more or less rounded at the tip, short, and 
a little thickened in its substance ; there are four pairs of false molars 
to each jaw. Such are 
The Noctule Bat (F. noctula) .—Oi a bright reddish-brown; the 
membrane dusky. Length of the head and body nearly 3 inches : ex- 
tent 13 or 14 inches. Ears oval-triangular, shorter than the head ; 
the tragus not one-third the length of the ear, arcuated, and termi- 
nated in a broad rounded head ; muzzle short, broad, and blunt. 
This species is not uncommon, and is even numerous in some 
districts : its flight is lofty, whence designated ultivolans by White. 
Hairy-armed Bat {F.Leisleri), — ^The furlong, bright chestnut above, 
brownish grey beneath ; under surface of the flying membrane with a 
broad band of hair along the fore-arm. Length of the head and body 
2Y2 inches ; extent inches. Tlie ears oval-triangular, shorter than 
the head ; tragus barely one-third the length of the ear, terminating 
in a rounded head. But one specimen is known to have been killed in 
England. 
Particoloured Bat {F. discolor) .—Fnr reddish-brown above, with 
the tips of the hairs white ; beneath, sullied white. Length of the 
head and body 2^4 inches ; extent 10V§ inches. Ears about two- 
thirds the length of the head, oval, with a projecting lobe on the 
inner margin ; the tragus of nearly equal breadth throughout, rather 
more than one-third the length of the ear. It inhabits towns, and 
comes abroad early in the evening. The only native specimen was 
taken-at Plymouth. 
Pipistrelle Bat [F. pipistrellus, erroneously termed F. murinus by 
British writers till very lately) .—This small species is the commonest 
of any ; it is dark reddish brown, paler beneath. Length to the tail 
lyo inch ; extent 81^ inches. Ears two-thirds the length of the head, 
oval-triangular, notched on the outer margin ; tragus nearly half as 
long as the ear, almost straight, thickened, obtuse, and rounded at 
the apex. It runs with celerity, carrying its head near the ground, 
from which it rises with ease ; and is active during the greater part 
of the year. The Pygmy Bat {F. pygmtBus, Leach,) is evidently a 
young animal, and probably of this species. 
The next has only two pairs of superior false molars. 
The Serotine Bat (F. sero<iwMs).— Fur chestnut-brown above, yel- 
lowish-grey beneath. Length of the head and body 2% inches ; ex- 
tent 12^; inches. The ears oval triangular; shorter than the head ; 
tragus semicordate, little more than one-third the length of the ear. 
The Serotine frequents uninhabited houses, the roofs of churches, &c. 
and sometimes hollow trees ; flies steadily and rather slow, and is 
occasionally taken near London. 
In the second group, the tragus is relatively longer, thin, narrow, 
and more or less pointed ; and there are six pairs of false molars to 
each jaw. 
Mouse-coloured Bat (F. murinus). — The fur reddish-brown above, 
dull white beneath. Length of the head and body 3^2 inches ; spread 
of wing 15 inches. Ears oval, broad at the base, becoming narrower 
towards the apex, as long as the head ; tragus falciform, the inner 
margin straight, not quite half the length of the ear. This Bat is very 
common in France and Germany, but only one instance has been re- 
corded of its occurrence in Britain. 
Bechstein’s Bat (V. Bechsteinii) . — Fur reddish-grey above, greyish- 
white beneath. Dimensions, to the insertion of the tail, 2^4 inches ; 
11 inches aeross. Ears oval, rather longer than the head ; tragus 
narrow, falciform, not half the length of the ear. The thumb longer 
than in the others. A woodland species, found occasionally in the 
New Forest, Hants. 
Fringe-tailed Bat ( Nattereri). — Fur brown above, whitish 
beneath. Length, to the tail, nearly 2 inches ; extent 11 inches. 
Ears oblong-oval, about as long as the head ; tragus narrow-lanceo- ^ 
late, nearly two-thirds the length of the ear; interfemoral membran^ 
with the margin crenate and stiffly ciliated, from the end of the spur 
or calcaneum to the tail. Has been met with in several parts of tli^ 
country. J 
Notch-eared Bat {F. emarginatus, Geol., not of Jenyns). — The fur | 
reddish-grey above, ash-coloured beneath. Length of the head and ^ 
body two inches ; extent 9 inches. The ears oblong, as long as the ' 
head, with a notch and a small lobe on the outer margin ; tragus awl- 
shaped, a little curved outward, more than half the length of the ear. 
One was killed near Dover. 
Daubenton’s Bat (F. Datibentonii, — emarginatus ol Jenyns). — Fur 
soft, plentiful, brownish-black at the base ; the surface greyish-red 
above, ash-grey beneath. Length of the head and body 2 inches ; 
extent 9 inches. The ears oval, three-fourths the length of the head, 
very slightly notched on the outer margin, with a fold on the inner i 
margin at the base ; tragus narrow-lanceolate, rather obtuse, bending 
a little inward, half the length of the ear ; tail longer than the body. 
Has been taken in several localities, and flies rapidly near the ground, 
or over stagnant water. 
Whiskered Bat (F. mystacinus). — Fur blackish-chestnut above, 
dusky beneath ; the upper lip furnished with a moustache of long fine 
hair. Length of the head and body 1% inch ; extent inches. Ears | 
oblong, bending outward, shorter than the head, notched on the outer 
margin ; the tragus half the length of the ear, laneeolate, a little ex- | 
panded at the outer margin near the base. Has also occurred in 
different parts of the country. 
The above characters are chiefly compiled from Bell’s British Quad- 
rupeds, where figures and minute descriptions are gi'-en of each of 
them, together w'ith full-sized representations of their heads. It may 
be remarked that only the last five are retained in Fesj ertilio by Mr. 
Gray, the others being included in his Scotophilus. — Ej . 
i 
