Vespertilionid^. MAMMALIA. Vesfertiliomid.®. 
53 
period of gestation in the noctule exceeds thirty-eight 
days.” According to the observations of Mr. White of 
Selborne, this species does not make its appearance on 
the wing until the latter part of April, and not after the 
month of July. The same authority first noticed that 
the body of the noctule emitted an offensive odour. 
Throughout Europe it may he said to he a common 
species. In Dr. Gray’s catalogue of specimens pre- 
served in the British Museum, this bat is called Noc- 
tulinia altivolans, the latter word indicating its most 
characteristic habit. 
THE SEKOTIKE {Vespertilio serotinus). — This is a 
moderate-sized bat, having a length of little more than 
two inches and a half, exclusive, of course, of the tail. 
The ears are tolerably large, the body being clothed 
with a long, soft, downy covering of a reddish-brown 
colour above, and gradually shading off to an obscure 
yellow tint at the under part of the body. Mr. Bell 
says, “ It appears to have very much the habit of the 
noctule, at least as far as regards its late appearance in 
the spring, and its sound and long-continued slumber. 
It flies from evening till morning, when the state of the 
atmosphere is favourable. In France, where it is far 
from being rare, it frequent forests, where it flies among 
loftj'- trees. It is also commonly found amongst the 
huge piles of wood in the timber yards of Paris, seek- 
ing its place of repose on the tops of the highest piles. 
With us it appears to be a rare species, not having 
hitherto been found anywhere but around London. 
Its flight is slow; it shuns society more than most other 
bats, being generally found either solitary or in pairs. 
It has only one young one at a birth — about the end of 
May in France, probably somewhat later in this country. 
It is found in Germany, Holland, France, and Switzer- 
land.” In the catalogue of Mammalia preserved in the 
British Museum, this species is designated Scotqphilus 
serotinus. 
THE MOHSE-COIOTJEED BAT ( Vespertilio murinus), 
— There can be no doubt that this is the largest of our 
indigenous Cheiroptera, as it far exceeds the noctule in 
length, measuring three and a half inches from the 
muzzle to the base or root of the tail. It is, as we 
have before stated, a common species in continental 
Europe, but exceedingly rare in Britain. The head is 
elongated, and narrower in front than obtains in any 
of the foregoing species ; the eyes are conspicuous, and 
placed well forward ; the ears are broad at their base, 
but markedly pointed at their tips. Its habits are gre- 
garious, and it has a special fondness for old buildings. 
It is a very pugnacious animal, and it may be remarked 
that its general appearance seems to indicate such a 
ferocity of disposition. Moths appear to constitute its 
principal insect food. In the British Museum catalogue 
this is also classed under the genus Scotophilus. 
NATTEREE’S BAT {Vespertilio Nattereri). — In ac- 
cordance with a distinguishing character which more 
or less marks this species, Mr. Bell designates it the 
Reddish-grey Bat. The rules observed in naming 
species are of necessity very arbitrary ; and although, 
to the eye of a well-trained practical naturalist, a varia- 
tion of colour is readily appreciated, by the general 
observer of nature differences in this respect are easily 
overlooked ; unless, indeed, they exhibit the most pal- 
pable significance. Independent of the opportunity of 
variety afforded by the introduetion of authors’ sur- 
names into our natural history nomenclature, it also 
offers an agreeable medium for diffusing the names 
of distinguished naturalists among those who cannot 
be expected to know, in all cases, to whom science 
is indebted for its advances in ancient or even more 
modern times. Thus, for the sake of illustration, it is 
doubtless agreeable to the general reader to be aware 
that theDr. Natterer, whose name is employed in connec- 
tion with this bat, was a celebrated Austrian naturalist, 
who greatly extended our knowledge of the animals of 
Germany, and who, during his travels in the compara- 
tively new field opened up to him on the Brazilian 
continent, accumulated a prodigious amount of materials 
and facts, which have since enlarged the borders of 
natural history science in various departments. Having 
said thus much, partly by way of apology for adopting 
the above English specific title, we have now to observe 
that this species is scarcely two inches long. The 
head is small, as compared with the species just de- 
scribed, while the muzzle is pointed and narrow. The 
ears are about the length of the head, while the little 
appendage in front, looking like a second ear in some 
species, and called the tragus, is particularly thin and 
styliform. In regard to its habits but little has been 
noticed; nevertheless, Mr. Bell has recorded some 
interesting observations respecting three examples, 
which were obtained from one of those well-known 
artificial caverns in the chalk-pits at Chiselhurst in 
Kent. “ These specimens continued alive for a short 
time, feeding on bits of raw meat, and exhibiting great 
familiarity not only towards their companions, but 
with myself, eating from my hand, and allowing me to 
meddle with them without evincing fear or anger. One 
of them was one morning found dead, and partially 
eaten by his companions; and the remaining two died 
shortly afterwards. They were active in their habits, 
running about the cage, and climbing with great agility. 
Their attitude when running on a plane surface was 
more horizontal that that of the long-eared bat, though 
perhaps less so than the pipistrelle, which runs along 
almost on its belly.” Natterer’s bat has hitherto, we 
believe, only been captured in the eastern counties of 
England. This species will be found in the British 
Museum catalogue, under the combined generic and 
specific name of Myotis Nattereri. 
THE PAETICOLOURED 'BNi {Vespertilio discolor ) . — 
This is a well-marked form, and one of the most attrac- 
tive of the species hitherto seen in this country. It 
derives its name from the peculiar mottled colour of 
the fur, the tips of the hairs on the back being of a 
light-grey colour, w'hile their roots have a rich chestnut 
hue. On the under surface of the body the hairs are 
still variegated, but they exhibit a much lighter shade. 
The particoloured bat measures rather more than two 
and a half inches in length. The ears are of moderate 
size, the eyes being particularly small. Throughout 
Europe this species appears to be everywhere scarce, 
and only a single example has been taken in England. 
The specimen in question is now in the British Museum, 
and is named in the catalogue Scotophilus discolor. It 
was obtained at Plymouth. 
