. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE MOUSE-COLOURED BAT. 305 Tn its form and general proportions tliis Bat resembles the common British Pipistrelle, as also in the characters of the skull. In its dentition it has a still closer affinity to an Australian species, Gould's Bat {Scotophilus Gouklii). The fur is of a blackish-brown colour on the head and back, becoming chestnut-brown on the rump ; the lower surface is of a similar colour, hut browner, and becomes reddish-brown towards the tail. The hairs are of one colour throughout their length. The length of the head and bod
. Cassell's natural history. Animals; Animal behavior. THE MOUSE-COLOURED BAT. 305 Tn its form and general proportions tliis Bat resembles the common British Pipistrelle, as also in the characters of the skull. In its dentition it has a still closer affinity to an Australian species, Gould's Bat {Scotophilus Gouklii). The fur is of a blackish-brown colour on the head and back, becoming chestnut-brown on the rump ; the lower surface is of a similar colour, hut browner, and becomes reddish-brown towards the tail. The hairs are of one colour throughout their length. The length of the head and body is rather more than two inches, and that of the tail about an inch and a half. This Bat inhabits the middle island of New Zealand. Nothing appears to be known of its habits. THE MOUSE-COLOURED BAT.* The genus Vespertilio, as now restricted, comprehends a very considerable number of species distributed in nearly all parts of the world. It differs from Vesperugo hi having the outer margin of the ear terminated opposite the level of the tragus, and not produced towards the angle of the mouth, and is further characterised by the nostrils being simple and crescent-shaped, and scarcely projecting from the muzzle. Eight species inhabit Europe, and five of these are found in Britain. The Common Bat of the continent of Europe, the Mouse-coloured Bat of Prof Bell {Vesper- tilio niurinus), is a large species more than three inches and a half in length. Its fur is of a pale reddish-brown colour above and greyish-white beneath, but with the bases of all the hairs black ; the head is long, the ears oval, narrowed tow;mls the apex, as long as the head, and the tragus is nearly half as long as the ear, narrow, pointed, with its inner mai-gin quite straight. The membranes are of a yellowish-brown colour. Vespertilio nmrinus is met with in the north-western Himalayas, and extends thence through Syria into Northern Africa. It is common in Central and Southern Europe, but in England is one of th
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