and silent--I have never heard this species squeak on the wing.
Individuals did not appear to wander far, but confined their attentions
to single pools or short stretches of the stream, where they flitted
about the alder-bushes or threaded their way with marvellous precision
through the lower branches of the sycamore trees. I never saw one rise
to a greater height than twenty feet, and often they flew within a few
inches of the ground or skimmed the surface of a pool for a yard or two,
only to rise again to resume their flight around the alders."
It is not very particular where it takes its daytime sleep. Any sort
of shelter will do, whether it be a hollow tree or under a piece of
loose bark, a hole in the wall, a roof, or behind window shutters. Its
hibernation is passed by preference in a cave, whence it emerges for a
flight whenever the weather is fine. In spite of its customary silence,
it can produce a feeble squeak.
On the wing it is not easily distinguished from the Pipistrelle, which
is so similar in size; but the noisiness of the Pipistrelle compared
with the silence of the Whiskered Bat is the best guide.
The solitary young one is born in June or July.
It is widely distributed throughout England, with the exception of East
Anglia. In Yorkshire it has been found at an elevation of 1400 feet.
It appears to be common in Wales and Ireland, but rare in Scotland. It
occurs all over Europe where there are trees, and extends eastwards to
Asia. It is the smallest member of its genus.
[Illustration: _Pl. 22._ _D 38._
*Daubenton's Bat.*
Typical alder-sheltered resort of this species.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 23._ _D 39._
*Common Bat.*
Vespertilio pipistrellus.]
We have three other representatives of the genus _Myotis_, which is
probably the largest as it is the most widely distributed of all the
genera of Bats. They are all of slender, delicate form, which is seen
most clearly in the shape of the skull, the muzzle, the ear and its
tragus. They agree also in having thirty-eight teeth--six more than in
the Horse-shoe Bat. The dental formula of all the members of the genus
is: _i 2/3, c 1/1, p 3/3, m 3/3 = 38_.
*Red-grey Bat* (_Myotis nattereri_, Kuhl).
The Red-grey or Natterer's Bat is somewhat larger than the Whiskered
Bat, the head and body measuring about an inch and three-quarters, but
the tail is relatively shorter, being only an inch and a half. It has
the longest wings of our species of _Myotis_, their expanse being equal
to eleven inches and a quarter.
The long, soft and dense fur is of a greyish-brown colour above and
whitish on the underside. The wing membranes are dusky. It has a small
head, with a narrow muzzle which is naked at the tip and slightly
overhangs the lower jaw. The face is so densely covered with fur that
the small eyes are hidden. There is also a moustache, and above the lips
on each side is a prominent gland. The large oval ear is notched on the
outer margin above the middle, and the long slender tragus is more than
half the length of the ear, ending in a long, very slender point. The
wing membrane extends to the base of the outer toe, and the interfemoral
membrane is distinctly fringed with stiff hairs along its lower edge.
The tail, which is carried extended behind, is slightly less than the
head and body in length.
The Red-grey Bat shares the Whiskered Bat's partiality for wooded
districts, where it may often be seen in numbers, even before sunset.
Unlike the last-named species it is both sociable and gregarious, and
its daytime retreat in holes in walls, hollow trees, and caverns, is
shared with Bats of its own and other species. It flies low, with a
slow, steady flight, and often picks flies and small moths off leaves
and twigs. When so engaged like the Whiskered Bat it may be known from
it by its noisy chirping. It will turn somersaults in the air in order
to alight by clinging with its feet.
The solitary young one is born towards the end of June.
It does not appear to be a generally distributed species even in the
South of England. Its range extends from Cornwall and the Isle of Wight
to Durham and Norfolk. It also occurs in Wales and various parts of
Ireland. In Scotland it has been reported from Argyll, Midlothian, and
Montrose. It is a native of Central and Southern Europe, extending north
to the south of Sweden.
*Bechstein's Bat* (_Myotis bechsteinii_, Kuhl).
Bechstein's Bat has a general resemblance to the Red-grey Bat, but is
slightly larger, with ears almost twice the breadth of those of that
species, and the feet relatively as well as actually larger. Though the
skull is larger, it is actually narrower than in that species. The thin
ears are relatively larger than those of any European Bat, except the
Long-eared Bat, where, however, they are of quite different shape and
are connected by their lower margins, whilst here their bases are widely
apart. The form of the ear is like that of the Whiskered Bat; so is the
tragus, and the shape of the wings.
It is covered with soft, woolly fur, which is a greyish-brown on the
upper parts and buff-grey below. The membranes are dark brown; that of
the wing arises from the base of the toes, and that of the interfemoral
leaves the last joint of the tail free.
The combined length of head and body is about two inches; of the tail
an inch and a half. The ears are about three-quarters of an inch in
length and half an inch wide; the tragus half the length of the ear.
The expanse of the wings is ten inches. The single young is born about
midsummer.
Bechstein's is the rarest of British bats, and so far has been recorded
only from the South of England, the localities being the New Forest,
Isle of Wight, Sussex, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. Our knowledge of
its habits is derived chiefly from the Continent, where it flies about
woods, orchards, and the neighbourhood of dwellings, coming out from
its retreat late in the evening and flying slowly and low over lanes
and woodland roads, but only in calm weather. It is restricted to
Central and Southern Europe.
*Daubenton's Bat* (_Myotis daubentonii_, Kuhl).
Daubenton's or the Water Bat was formerly considered one of our rarest
Bats, but is known now to be one of the most widely distributed and
plentiful species. It had probably been mistaken for the Common Bat
or Pipistrelle to which it comes near in point of size, though its
habits are different. It keeps close to the water, especially to some
alder-sheltered pool in the river where there are plenty of caddis-flies
and other insects. There from an hour before sunset it flies slowly in
circles, frequently dipping its muzzle into the water to pick up surface
insects. In such places the evening fly-fisher sometimes finds this
Bat caught on his hook. It appears to be on the wing all night. It was
probably to this Bat that Gilbert White referred in his eleventh letter
to Pennant, when he said: "As I was going, some years ago, pretty late,
in a boat from Richmond to Sunbury, on a warm summer's evening, I think
I saw myriads of Bats between the two places; the air swarmed with them
all along the Thames, so that hundreds were in sight at a time." This
was long before it had been distinguished as a distinct species, and
when it would probably have been regarded as the Common Bat.
It is clothed with short, dense fur, of a grizzled warm brown colour on
the upper parts, and lighter brown or buffy grey, sometimes so pale as
to show a distinct line of separation along the sides from the angle of
the lips to the thigh. The face is dusky, and the ears and wing membrane
are of a reddish dusky tint. The interfemoral membrane is whitish below,
and there are whitish hairs on the toes. The membrane arises from the
middle of the foot.
In size it is a little larger than the Whiskered Bat and the Common Bat,
but smaller than Leisler's Bat. The head and body measure about two
inches, the tail an inch and a quarter, the ear half an inch; the wing
expanse is about nine inches. The foreleg and foot are conspicuously
large. The ear has a rounded tip, and a shallow concavity on the upper
part of the hind margin; the lance-shaped tragus is about half the
length of the ear. The spur or calcar of the foot extends three-fourths
of the distance between the foot and the tail. The last two joints of
the latter usually extend beyond the membrane.
For its daytime rest it retires to crevices in trees, walls, caves or
roofs, often in numbers, but its resorts have not the evil smell that
such places frequently give off. It has a low soft chirp, less shrill
than the cry of the Common Bat. In hibernation--which extends from the
end of September to about the middle of April--it is no longer sociable,
but hangs alone in some dark cave.
There is a single young one, born in June or July.
Its range extends from Ireland to Asia, and from the Mediterranean to
central Norway.
[Illustration: _Pl. 24._ _D 42._
*Serotine Bat.*
Vespertilio serotinus.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 25._ _D 43._
*Common Bat.*
Alighting on branch.]
*Common Bat* (_Vespertilio pipistrellus_, Schreber)
The Common Bat is in a general sense familiar to everybody, for it
may be seen in the evenings flying everywhere, even in the streets
of crowded cities. Its British distribution extends from the South
of England to Scotland and the Hebrides and westward to Ireland. Its
wider range includes Europe and parts of Asia. It is the smallest of
the British Bats.
In spite of its small size--the head and body measure little more than
an inch and a half--the Common Bat is of robust build, and it has a
wing expanse of over eight inches. It has a flat broad head with a
blunt muzzle and wide mouth. The short, broad ears are somewhat
triangular with blunt tips. The erect, slightly incurved tragus has
a rounded tip which does not reach quite to half the height of the ear.
There are glandular swellings on the muzzle between the nostril and
the small, but rather prominent eye. The tail is little over an inch
in length, and the legs also are short. The last joint of the tail is
free from the membrane and prehensile, and the Bat makes use of it as
a support in crawling up or down. The spur reaches more than halfway
to the tail. The narrow wing is attached to the middle of the sole of
the foot.
The somewhat silky fur is a reddish-brown on the upper parts, slightly
paler beneath. The wing membrane and the ears are blackish.
It is a very active Bat, flying over farmyards and gardens and about
houses, frequently uttering its shrill little squeak as it snaps up the
flies and small beetles, pouching and eating them without alighting. It
continues its flight all through the night, and has a longer period of
activity than any other species, for it leaves its hibernaculum in March
and does not retire until winter has begun. Even then, a moderately high
midday temperature is sufficient to awaken it and bring it out for
an hour's hunt. It is this habit that accounts for the letters in the
daily papers from City gentlemen who report the presence of a Bat flying
along Cornhill or Cheapside early in January.
It is not particular in regard to its sleeping place, and is frequently
found under roofs, behind rainwater pipes and gutters, or in any
crevices between woodwork and brickwork in buildings. Any regular
dormitory acquires a very fetid odour from its use.
The dental formula of the Common Bat is: _i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/2, m 3/3
= 34_. Schreber's name of _Vespertilio pipistrellus_ was bestowed
in 1774 and is the oldest name; in the British Museum Catalogue it
is _Pipistrellus pipistrellus_, a combination invented by Miller in
1897.
*Serotine* (_Vespertilio serotinus_, Schreber).
The Serotine and the Noctule are our two largest Bats, and in the
early records they were very much confused. Though similar in size,
they may be known apart by the shape of the ear; in the present species
oval-triangular with the tips rounded. The fur is also of a darker
brown, and there are other points of difference, such as the possession
of two additional teeth by the Noctule. But for a few records of its
occurrence in Essex, it might be said to be restricted in Britain to
that portion of England bounded by the river Thames and the English
Channel. A few examples have been taken in Cornwall, and other counties
in which it is found are Surrey, Hampshire, Sussex, and Kent. It occurs
throughout the Isle of Wight--where it is known as Rattle-mouse--but
Kent is its British metropolis, where it is the commonest Bat. It
extends through Central and South Europe, from Denmark to the
Mediterranean and eastward into Asia.
It has a somewhat swollen face with little hair on the front portion,
save for a moustache on the upper lip; but owing to the dark skin of
the face the lack of fur is not very noticeable. The dark brown fur of
the upper parts is soft and dense; behind the shoulders the hairs have
buffy tips. On the underside the fur is somewhat lighter. There is
little extension of fur on the wing, except a line of down on the under
surface of the forearm. The membrane is attached to the base of the
toes. The head and body measure about three inches, and the tail
slightly exceeds two inches, the last joint being quite free of the
membrane. The expanse of the wings is fourteen and a half inches.
There are prominent glandular swellings on the muzzle. The ear is
about three-quarters of an inch long; the short tragus--less than half
the length of ear--has a straight front border and a curved hind border,
with rounded tip. The canines and the inner incisors of the upper jaw
are noticeably large and strong. Dental formula: _i 2/3, c 1/1, p 1/2,
m 3/3 = 32_.
[Illustration: _Pl. 26._ _D 44._
*Great Bat.*
Showing use of tail as additional foot.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 27._ _D 45._
*Serotine Bat.*
Emerging from its dormitory.]
The Serotine makes its appearance in public about sunset, apparently
retiring early and flying again in the early morning. It frequents
glades in woods, and preys upon beetles and moths. In May and June large
numbers of cockchafers fall victims to it, and in July and August in
Kent and Sussex it plays havoc with the local Brown-tail Moth. In the
early part of its season it flies at a low height, but later it prefers
an altitude between thirty and forty feet, from which, however, it
frequently descends to the ground. The change is, no doubt, connected
with the seasonal succession of insects with different habits. It is a
sociable species, and when it retires to holes or roofs for its daytime
rest it is usually in company. Its hibernation begins at the end of
October. Its voice is a squeak.
* * * * *
The Parti-coloured Bat (_Vespertilio murinus_, Linn.) is sometimes
enumerated among British Bats, but on the strength of only two specimens
captured in this country, in the "thirties" of last century. As one of
these was taken at Plymouth and the other at Yarmouth, it is reasonable
to suppose that they were mere stragglers which had reached our shores
on board ship. Had they occurred as residents their distinctive
coloration--dark brown upper side mottled with yellow-brown and whitish
underside--and large size, would have established their identity at
once.
*Great Bat* (_Nyctalus noctula_, Schreber).
Though similar to the Serotine in size and to the Pipistrelle in form,
the Great Bat or Noctule was recognised as a distinct species long
ago. We might with great fitness call this White's Bat, for it was
the Selborne naturalist who first called attention to it as a native
species, under the name of _altivolans_, suggested by its high flight.
Schreber, however, had some years previously named it _noctula_, basing
his description upon a French specimen. White refers to it several
times, and in his xxxvith letter to Pennant gives particulars which the
latter included in his "British Zoology." Part of White's description
is worth quoting. He says: "In the extent of their wings they measured
fourteen inches and a half; and four inches and a half from the nose to
the tip of the tail; their heads were large, their nostrils bilobated,
their shoulders broad and muscular; and their whole bodies fleshy and
plump. Nothing could be more sleek than their fur, which was of a bright
chestnut colour.... They weighed each, when entire, full one ounce and
one drachm. Within the ear there was somewhat of a peculiar structure
that I did not understand perfectly! [? tragus] but refer it to the
observation of the curious anatomist. These creatures sent forth a
very rancid and offensive smell."
To add to White's description, it may be said that the general form is
robust and heavy, the forearm massive, the wing long and slender, its
narrowness being due to the shortness of the fifth finger. The lower leg
is short and thick and the foot broad and powerful. The muzzle is broad
and has a glandular swelling between eye and nostril. The nostrils
project forward and outward and there is a distinct concavity between
the two crescent-shaped orifices. The ear is short--when flattened it
is broader than long--with the front border rounded to the tip; its
inner surface covered with short hairs. The ears are far apart. There
is a very short, downy, bow-shaped tragus, broader above than below. The
long, soft, golden-brown fur is abundant, and extends over the face and
a short distance over the wing; it is paler and duller on the lower
parts. On the underside there is a narrow band of fur below the arm
bones. The last joint of the tail is free. The membrane and ears are
blackish.
[Illustration: _Pl. 28._ _D 46._
*Leisler's Bat.*
Nyctalus leisleri.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 29._ _D 47._
*Great Bat.*
Alighting after daytime flight.]
The dentition is: _i 2/3, c 1/1, p 2/2, m 3/3 = 34_.
The Great Bat, as one would expect from the shape of the wings, has a
quick, dashing flight reminding one of that of the Swifts, with which,
indeed, it may be seen high in the air hawking for the same prey. It
often glides down obliquely on expanded wings. It flies at twilight and
again at dawn, as well as in the daytime occasionally. It has a shrill,
clear, cricket-like voice.
Mr. C. B. Moffat says they "cram themselves to bursting point either
once or twice in the twenty-four hours, during a seventy minutes career
of mad excitement among the twilight-flying beetles and gnats." They
also take moths and other insects; but in captivity they have resolutely
refused to eat such "warningly coloured" species as the Cinnabar and
Magpie moths. It is proved that at one meal they will consume food equal
to a fourth of their own weight. When one considers the lightness of
insects the amount of good these purely insectivorous creatures effect
is obvious.
Their resorts are in hollow trees and under the eaves of buildings,
where numbers may associate together, especially in hibernation. Their
presence is often indicated by thick layers of excrement.
The Great Bat flies all through the year with the exception of January
and the latter part of December. Pied and almost black variations from
the normal colouring have been recorded.
The sexes are said to separate into distinct colonies in the summer:
the females retiring to trees. The single young is born naked and blind
towards the end of June. When they get their fur they are much darker
than the adults.
Although the Great Bat is generally distributed as far north as
Yorkshire, Durham, and the Lake District, it is common only in the
South of England, from Norfolk to Cornwall, but is rare in the Isle
of Wight. It is not recorded from Ireland. Formerly, it was not
considered a native of Scotland, but in recent years several examples
have been captured there. It is found throughout the greater part of
Europe and adjacent parts of Asia.
*Leisler's Bat* (_Nyctalus leisleri_, Kuhl).
It is not necessary to give a detailed description of Leisler's or the
Hairy-winged Bat, for it is a miniature edition of the Great Bat in a
darker binding. The length of the head and body is two and a half inches
and of the tail an inch and a half. The wing expanse is thirteen inches
and a quarter. The fur on the upper parts is a darker brown than that of
the Great Bat, but it is lighter on the under parts. The skull is only
half the size of that species, and the entire build is lighter and less
massive. Owing to this difference in size it is not so likely to be
mistaken on the wing for the Great Bat as for the Common Bat. It is
without the strong odour of the Great Bat. It agrees with the latter
in its high flight, but its movements are not so swift and are more
zigzag.
It is one of the rarest of our Bats, and like the Great Bat a woodland
species, making its dormitory preferably high up in a decayed oak, but
also in the roofs and crevices of buildings. Its period of activity
begins about the third week in April and lasts until near the end of
September, when it goes into hibernation, but a little mild weather in
winter will wake it up and bring it out for a flight. According to the
observations of Mr. C. B. Moffat it flies for about a hundred minutes
just after sunset, and for a similar period just before sunrise. Its
food consists of flies, beetles, and moths. Dr. Alcock, who has brought
this Bat down by shooting it an hour after sunset, found it so crammed
with food that it did not appear physically possible for it to feed
longer.
[Illustration: _Pl. 30._ _D 48._
*Leisler's Bat.*
Asleep on roof masonry.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 31._
*Long-eared Bat.*
Plecotus auritus.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 32._
*Long-eared Bat.*
Ears uncurling after sleep.]
[Illustration: _Pl. 33A._ _E 49._
Face, showing distinctive ear and tragus.
*Barbastelle* (_Barbastella barbastellus_).]
[Illustration: _Pl. 33B._ _E 49._
On the wing (reduced two-thirds).
*Barbastelle* (_Barbastella barbastellus_).]
The distribution of Leisler's Bat does not agree at all with that of its
near ally, the Great Bat. It has been obtained chiefly in the Valley of
the Avon (Warwickshire); also in Yorkshire, Cheshire, and Norfolk. It
does not appear to occur in Scotland; but it is reported as abundant in
several parts of Ireland. It is a purely European species, occurring
only from Central Europe westward.
*Long-eared Bat* (_Plecotus auritus_, Linn.)
The Long-eared is probably the best known of our Bats owing to the very
distinctive character afforded by the huge ears, which are as long as
the forearm and longer than the body. In addition, it is one of the
commonest and most widely distributed of our Bats, and likely to be met
with anywhere in the British Islands. It is, however, rarer in the North
of Scotland than elsewhere. It is found nearly all over Europe.
The large and mobile ears give this Bat an appearance of size not
justified by its small and delicate build. The head and body combined
measure less than two inches, whilst the tail is only a fraction less
than that measurement. The fact that no other European Bat has such
an equipment renders a detailed description superfluous, for the ears
at once distinguish this from all the other species. These ears have
their bases joined across the forehead. Their form is a long oval with
rounded tip. Except for fringes on the folds they are hairless. They
are semi-transparent and have transverse folds. The tapering tragus is
nearly half as long as the ear, and might be mistaken for it when the
Bat hangs asleep; for then the ears are carefully folded and tucked away
in the wing whilst the tragus sticks out beyond the inanimate-looking
bundle. Sometimes, when awake, one ear is held at a different angle from
the other; but in flight both ears are directed forward. Often, when it
has caught an insect, the Long-eared Bat will come to the ground to eat
it.
The soft, silky, brown fur is long and thick, especially on the
shoulders, but does not extend far upon the wings. On the under parts
it pales to yellowish or dirty white. The wings are both long and broad,
and their expanse in flight is about ten inches. The long tail when
folded forwards can touch the top of the head; its tip is slightly free
from the interfemoral membrane, and when the Bat hooks itself up head
downwards for sleep it serves as a third foot.