264 
BATS. 
The greater horseshoe-bat has a very wide distribution, being found over a large 
portion of Europe, the greater part of Africa, and Asia northwards of the Himalaya 
Mountains, and as far eastwards as Japan. In England, although nowhere common, 
it is met with in the southern counties, and is occasionally found in the Midlands, 
but is quite unknown further north, and has never been observed in Ireland. Like 
the other species, it generally prefers to rest during the day in caves and old buildings, 
and does not issue forth till late in the evening, when it continues its flight till dark. 
As we have already mentioned, there seems little doubt that the nose-leaf of these 
bats is specially intended to aid them in avoiding obstacles during flight, as most or 
all of the species fly later than the bats which are unprovided with these appendages. 
Mr. J. E. Harting states that this species (Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum ) when 
on the wing appears as large as the noctule, from which it may be distinguished 
by the greater proportionate width of the wing-membrane. In the caves of the 
department of the Eure, in the north of France, great numbers of these bats 
collect for their winter sleep; upwards of one hundred and eighty having been 
observed in one colony, and eighty in another. It is further noteworthy that 
these colonies always consist exclusively of either males or females. 
The second British representative is the lesser horseshoe-bat (R. hipposiderus), 
which ranges over a large part of Europe, extending 
as far north as the Baltic. It has been recorded 
from Ireland, and is also found at Gilgit, on the 
north - west portion of India, though in Africa it 
does not extend south of the Sahara. Mr. Blanford 
states that during the day it hides in caves, ruined 
buildings, outhouses, etc., often in large numbers. It 
usually appears about dusk, and, according to Scully, 
by whom it was observed in Gilgit, has a powerful 
and long-sustained flight; but Blasius, who made his 
observations on European examples, says its flight is 
rather irregular and fluttering. It is generally found rather higher in the air than 
R. ferrum-equinum, and is more frequently found away from dense tree-growth. 
The largest of all the species is the great eastern horseshoe-bat (R. luctus), 
which is found in elevated districts from India to Borneo and the Philippine 
Islands. It has a very large and peculiar nose-leaf, the anterior part of which 
spreads over the lips; and the colour of the fur and wings is generally jet black. 
According to Captain Hutton, these bats generally go in pairs, instead of in flocks, 
although several pairs may not unfrequently be found in large caves. The same 
observer states that this species commences its flight early in the evening, and flies 
at a height of about twenty or thirty feet above the ground, its movements being 
somewhat heavy and slow. There are many other species of horseshoe-bats, among 
which there is one (R. megaphyllus ) peculiar to North-East Australia, a second (R. 
capensis) confined to South Africa, extending as far north as Zanzibar, and a third 
(R. cethiops) from West Africa. I 11 the colder regions all the species of Rhinolophus 
hibernate ; but the late Dr. Leith Adams mentions that in Malta the little horseshoe- 
bat, which on the continent retires for the whole winter, may be observed at any 
season, although of course most plentiful in summer, even in mid-winter occa- 
HEAD OF LEAF-NOSED BAT ( H'ipposi- 
derus calcaratus). (From Dobson, 
Proc. Zool. Soc., 1877.) 
