i. ■ 
QUADRUPEDS. 
GENUS XX. The B A T. 
SPECIES I. The Short eared BAT 
Bat, Flitter, or Flutter Moufe; 
Rail fyn. quad. 243. 
Short eared Englijh Bat. Edzv. av. 
aoi. £ 2. 
Seb. Mus. I. 
The Rear Moufe. Charlton ex. 80. 
Meyer's an. I. Tab. 3. 
Gefner av. 766. , 
Velpertilio murini coloris, pedi- 
bus omnibus pentadaftylis. 
Briffon quad. 224. 
La chauve fouris. Buffort. Tom. 8. 
113. Tab■ 16. 
Velpertilio murinus. Linfyft. 22. 
V. caudatus nalb oreque fimplici. 
Faun.fuec. 18- 
V. major. Klein quad. 61. 
Velpertilio. Plinii. Lib. io, 6. 61. 
Britijh , Yftlum 
French , Chauve fouris 
% 
Italian , Nottola. Notula. Sporteglione. 
Vifpiftrello. Vilpiftrello. 
Spanijh , Murcielago, Morciegalo 
NAMES 
/Por tug. Morcego 
German , Speckrflanfs, Fladermufs 
Dutch , Vledermuys 
Szvedijh , Laderlap. Fladermus 
^ H I S fingular animal was placed by 
Pliny> Gefner , Aldrovandus , and 
fome other naturalifts, among the 
birds : they did not confider, that it want¬ 
ed every chara&er of that order of animals ; 
except the power of flying : if the irregular. 
uncertain, and jerking motion ^ of the bat in 
the air, can merit the name of flight. No 
birds whatfoever are furniflied with teeth, or 
bring forth their young alive, and fuckle 
them : were other notes wanting, thefe would 
je fufficient to determine that the bat is a 
madruped. 
The fpecies now defcribed, is the larger of 
the two kinds found in England ; and the 
moft common : the ufual length of it, is 
about two inches and a half: the extent of 
the fore-legs feven inches. 
* The figure of this Bat is borrowed from Seta’s mufeum. 
+ The Englilh fynonym of this animal, Flitter, or Flutter moufe, 
is very expreflive of its action, in the air. 
The members that are dlually called the 
wings, are nothing more than the four interior 
toes of the fore feet, produced to a great 
length, and conne&ed by a thin membrane $ 
which extends alfo to the hind legs; and from 
them to the tail: the firft toe is quite loofe, 
and ferves as a heel, when the bat walks ; or 
as a hook, when it would adhere to any thing; 
as is exprefled in the figure. The hind feet 
are difengaged from the membrane, and di¬ 
vided into five toes, furnifhed with pretty 
ftrong claws. The membranes are of a duiky 
color: the body is covered with fhort fur, of 
a moufe color, tinged with red. The eyes are 
very fmall: the ears like thofe of the moufe. 
This fpecies of bat is very common in Eng¬ 
land: it makes its firft appearance early in 
the fummer, and begins its flight in the dulk 
of the evening : it principally frequents the 
fides of woods, glades, and Ihady walks ; and 
is 
