MAMMALS
CHEIROPTERA
According to the list of British mammals given by Mr. Oldfield Thomas, F.R.S., in the Zoologist, 1898, p. 1OO, which is the latest authoritative statement on the subject, twelve or perhaps thirteen species of bats occur in the British Islands. How many of these are in- cluded in the fauna of Bucks is, I am sorry to say, uncertain. The ground may however be partially cleared by eliminating a few species which may safely be said not to be residents in the county, although owing to their powers of flight stray individuals may at any time appear within its borders, when they would be (as said under similar circumstances of birds) ' rare accidental visitors.'
Those species therefore which are believed not to be residents in the county are included in square brackets, but are inserted in their proper place in the following list.
This plan is adhered to in printing the re- maining orders of mammals as the most con- venient.
[Greater Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophus ferrum-equinum, Schreber.
Mr. (now the Rev.) J. E. Kelsall, in the Zoologist, 1887, p. 89, remarks that the distri- bution of the greater horse-shoe bat may be summarized as ' England south of the Thames (from Kent to Cornwall) and South Wales.' The same observer recorded one in the Zoologist for 1884, p. 483, as having been shot about 1875 at the Oxford reservoir, which is actually in Berks, about 7½ miles from the nearest point of Bucks.]
[Lesser Horse-shoe Bat. Rhinolophus hipposiderus, Bechstein.
The lesser horse-shoe bat does not appear to occur (except as an accidental straggler) in England to the south-east of Gloucestershire and Warwickshire (Zoologist, 1887, p. 91). The late Lord Lilford believed it to be more common than generally supposed in south Devon (ibid. p. 63).]
1 . Long-eared Bat. Plecotus auritus, Linn.
The long-eared bat is probably of general distribution throughout the county ; Mrs. Raikes reports it near Buckingham, and it is extremely common in the neighbourhood whence I write (Hambleden parish) ; there is a colony in my barn, and I have obtained specimens (here, and from the neighbouring parish of Turville) in nearly every month of the year, even December and January. Here- abouts indeed it appears to be even more numerous than the pipistrelle, which is cer- tainly not the case at Great Marlow. The long-eared bat has rather long hair, and the underside is quite light coloured. When at rest, the remarkable long ears can be folded as it were on hinges, in two directions (i) backwards, like a hood, so as to lie on the neck and shoulders, when the curiously high, semi-transparent tragus remains erect, and forms a very good substitute for the ears proper; and (2) sideways, in an outward direction, like the folding of a fish's fin when the tension on the anterior ray is relaxed.
2. Barbastelle. Barbastella barbastellus, Schreber.
Bell Barbastellus daubentonii. Bonap. Barbastellus communis.
The honour of securing the first recorded Bucks specimen of this species must be divided between three gentlemen, who, when at Mr. F. H. Parrott's bungalow at Great Kimble on 24 April 1904, in broad daylight about 3 o'clock on a beautiful sunny afternoon, noticed a bat flopping about in so peculiarly unsteady a fashion that Dr. J. C. Baker sug- gested attempting its capture with a landing- net. Mr. Parrott promptly produced one, and Mr. L. Crouch successfully manipulated it. Dr. Baker kindly took charge of the captive and handed it to me the following day.
As bats with the peculiar floppy flight de- scribed are not infrequent, it would seem probable that the barbastelle is hardly a rare species in Bucks. On 11 September 1904 I was brought another specimen, caught behind a window shutter at Ibstone House.
The peculiar face of this species once seen can never be again mistaken. The ears meet- ing in the middle line with the inner edge
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