MAMMALS CHEIROPTERA 14. Barbastelle. Barbastel/a barbaste/lus^Schr. Bell — Barbastellus daubentonii. No doubt occurs regularly, but I have only one record, a specimen caught in the coach- house at Caldecott Vicarage on 7 November, 1 901. It was found hanging head upwards. 15. Long-eared Bat. Plecotus auritus, Linn. Common near Uppingham and no doubt all over the county. An especially fine speci- men was caught at Ridlington 9 December, 1856. Seven were observed hawking for flies at 3 o'clock on a bright September after- noon (1902). When fed with moths in cap- tivity this species seize the moth by the head and eat steadily tailwards, letting the wings drop off on each side. Other bats, such as Daubenton's (/^«/>^r////'s daubentonii), Natterer's {f^. nattereri) and the whiskered bat {F. mystacinus) perhaps occur in the county, but they have not been iden- tified as doing so. 16. Pipistrelle. Pipistrel/us pipistre/lus {Schr.) Bell — Scotofhilus pifistrellus. A common species. The winter hyberna- tion begins in December and generally lasts till March. 17. Great Bat or Noctule. Pipistrellus noctula (Schr.) Bell — ScotopMlus noctula. The biggest and most conspicuous of the Rutland bats and not uncommon. It has been noticed at Uppingham, Ketton, Gret- ton and Beaumont Chace, and no doubt is generally distributed. On 4 June, 1892, I saw one at 3 o'clock in the afternoon flying in broad daylight at least 1 00 feet above the Eye brook. RODENTIA 18. Hare. Ltpus europeeus, Pallas. Bell — Lepus timiJus. Rather local in the southern part of the county. On the west side of Uppingham it is rarely seen. At Barrowden it is common, and more than fifty were killed there in one day in 1896. Elsewhere throughout the county they are plentiful except at Braunston. 19. Rabbit. Lepus cuniculus, Linn. Very plentiful and does great damage. Black specimens have been found at Wardley, Glaston and Ridlington. In 1896 a sandy- coloured one was killed. 20. Brown Rat. Mus decuman us, Pallas. The late Mr. Elliot, a naturalist and taxi- dermist of many years' experience, affirmed that there were two species of rat in this county, the field rat and the house rat, of which the former had a long head, smooth hair and tail hairy to the tip, while the latter had a thick chubby head, coarse hair, a more scaly tail, thin hair and a rank smell. How- ever that may be, and there is no reason why species should not become slightly differ- entiated, the common rat seems to be develop- ing a taste for the country and for aquatic habits. It is very common along the Eye brook, and probably fares sumptuously on the young moorhens, and disputes possession of his quarters with the water rat. In 1887 Mr. W. J. Horn noticed a white specimen in his garden at Uppingham. 21. House Mouse. AIus muscu/us, Linn. Very plentiful and injurious to the farmer, 22. Harvest Mouse. AIus minutus, Pallas. Occurs, though sparingly, throughout the county. The late Mr. Cooper of Ayston told me he had met with it, and Mr. E. St. G. Betts of Ketton says it is occasionally met with there. Mr. Montagu Browne, in his book on the Vertebrates of Leicestershire and Rutland, mentions a nest found (12 Sept. 1888) near Billesdon (Leicestershire) towards Uppingham. 23. Long-tailed Field Mouse. Mus sylvati- cus, Linn. Has occurred at Exton and Uppingham, and no doubt is found all over the county. 24. Common Field Vole. Microtus agrestis, Linn. Bell — Arvicola agrestis. Common. A nest with four young ones was found at Uppingham 10 July, 1894, and another with three young ones in September, 1897, a young one also being caught 28 May, 1898. The bank vole {Evotomys glareolus) doubtless occurs, but has been overlooked owing to its resemblance to the common field vole. 25. Water Vole. Microtus amphibius, Linn. Bell — jiri'icola amphibius. Very common between the middle of December and the middle of February. On 79
