MAMMALS The ' flittermoiise ' ' is abundant and generally distributed in the county. In some districts it is the commonest of the bats, but in others this distinction belongs to the long- eared bat. With the exception of January we have seen bats of this species on the wing during every month of the year, and they may often be seen during bright sunshine. The pipistrelle is fond of hibernating in the summer blinds that protect the windows of Warnham Court, and we have seen a perfect shower of these bats when they were lowered in the spring time. This bat may be easily caught by attracting it with a looking-glass or reflector. Both P. pipiurellus and Plecotus auritus will take ir. oths and insects from flowers, alighting upon them to do so, and we have known both species to settle by day on cowdung and pick ofF the red flies. 7. Bechstein's Bat. Myotis bechsteini, Leisl. Bell — Fesperlilio bechstemlt. An old male of this species was shot by Mr. Ruskin Butterfield near Normanhurst, Battle, on July 28, 1896, and its identification was confirmed by the late Sir William H. Flower. The specimen is now in the Hast- ings Museum, and is the only one hitherto recognized in Sussex. The true position and shape of the ears of this rare species was the subject of a paper by Mr. J. G. Millais read before the Zoological Society, June, 1901. The ears of M. hechsteini are very large, and in life stand up perpendicularly, and not at an angle of 70° as in Bell's figure. Another noticeable feature is the great width of the gape. Two bats belonging to the late F. Bond were caught at Preston near Brighton, i860, and were described {Zoologist, 1888, p. 260) as Bechstein's bats. A recent inspection, however, of the two specimens proves them to be undoubtedly assignable to M. nattereri. 8. Natterer's Bat. Myotis nattereri, Kuhl. Bell — VespertUio nattereri. This bat is generally distributed in the county, but apparently more numerous in the western than in the eastern portion. Mr. J. E. Harting has given the following localities for Sussex in his article on the species {Zoologist, 1889, p. 241): Cowfold, Henfield, St. Leonards Forest (W. Borrer) ; Balcombe, Three Bridges (F. Bond) ; Poynings (Oxford Museum) ; Midhurst, Nigh Woods, Rogate, West Grinstead and Hellingly (Harting). Mr. 1 Other Sussex names for bats are said to be ' fluttermouse ' and ' flindermouse ' (cf. W. D. Cooper, Provincialisms of Sussex, p. 19). Millais has also seen several and taken speci- mens in the neighbourhood of Hawkins's Pond, St. Leonards Forest. In east Sussex Mr. Ruskin Butterfield has taken examples at Battle, May 13, 1898 ; Rye (two young ones from the walls of an old gateway), July 17, 1898 ; and Gucstling (from a hollow tree), August I, 1900. Natterer's bat may be recognized by the presence of hairs upon the feet, and by the bristly margin to the interfemoral membrane towards the tip. The fur on the underparts is sometimes quite white, and when flying it is not difficult to recognize on this account. In west Sussex the species is sometimes known as the ' forest bat,' but it shows a great partiality for hawking above ponds and lakes like M. daubentoni, though performing its flight at a much greater elevation. 9. Daubenton's Bat. Myotis daubentoni, Leisl. Bell — VespertUio daubentonii. The late Mr. W. Borrer examined speci- mens taken near Preston, Brighton {Zoologist, 1889, p. 162), and these seem to be the only bats of the species recorded for Sussex. One was taken from a hollow tree near the powder- mill ponds at Battle on May 21, 1 901, and the same evening three others were observed flying over the surface of the ponds (Ruskin Butterfield). This bat may be easily dis- tinguished on the wing by its persistent back- ward and forward flight close to the surface of ponds and streams, whence it will pick the insects. In the hand it may be recog- nized, as was pointed out by Mr. W. E. de Winton, by the circumstance that the 'spur' runs three-quarters of the distance to the tail, and there is always a notch at the end. The species is probably more local than rare in the county. Specimens of Dauben- ton's bat taken by Mr. J. G. Millais were found to be infested by a very large red parasite which he did not notice as affecting bats of other species found in the same cave. 10. Whiskered Bat. Myotis mystacinus, Leisl. Bell — VespertUio mystacinus. This species is probably generally dis- tributed and not uncommon in the county, although it does not seem to have been noticed by many observers. An adult skin in the British Museum is marked ' Hastings ' {Brit. Mus. Cat. Chiroptera, p. 315), and Mr. Borrer has recorded others from Cowfold and Lindfield {Zoologist, 1874, p. 4128) ; also Mr. Pratt received several from Horsham in 301
