This Bat is found in many parts of Devonshire, and I have seen examples
which were taken in the vicinity of Taunton, Somersetshire, where I myself shot
two— at Rumwell Hall, close to the town— in the autumn of 1884. A colony
resides permanently in the roof of Wells Cathedral, where I obtained six living
examples taken on June 20, and six more in August, 1903. Lesser Horseshoe Bats
and Barbastelles occupy other parts of the same building. The Greater Horseshoe
has been recorded from Bristol, Clifton, and Weston-super-Mare, and further
west, from Swansea and Pembroke in Wales.1 In Hampshire, Mr. Hart has taken
the Bat many times near Christchurch, where he remarks that it is common in the
neighbourhood of the old Priory Church. It is interesting to note that here, as
at Wells, the species inhabits the building all the year round, for Mr. Hart’s
examples were captured in May, August, September, and October.1 2 *
Mr. R. F. Tomes found the Greater Horseshoe in underground workings in
the greensand near Godstone in Surrey, but regards it as rare.8
When we were writing the history of the Mammals of Sussex, for the Victoria
County Series, Mr. A. Butterfield and I made a careful survey of the county^
searching throughout the district for the purpose of obtaining information about
distribution. We found only one authentic instance of the occurrence of the
Greater Horseshoe— namely, that an individual was discovered on the sail of a
fishing boat on Brighton beach in January 1890.
This Bat also occurs in other southern counties, ranging from Gloucester to
Kent. It was recorded from Tomson Manor House, in Dorset, by Mr. J. Salter,4
and is fairly numerous in the Isle of Wight. Mr. A. G. More, in Venables’
‘ Guide to the Isle of Wight,’ remarks upon its abundance; Sandown, Farringford,
and Bonchurch are also given as localities in the island where it is specially
plentiful. In Essex and Kent it occurs near Colchester, Rochester, Maidstone,
Dover, and Canterbury. I have seen examples from most of these localities. In
1842 Mr. Borrer found it abundant at Canterbury, where it used to fly from
about dusk until dark,5 and I hear that it still frequents, the old cathedral town.
The reputed occurrence of the Greater Horseshoe in Wensleydale, Yorkshire,
was disproved by Mr. W. D. Roebuck, and we cannot but think that the record
of this species from Merionethshire demands further investigation. Mr. G. H.
Caton-Haigh recorded this Bat on the authority of Mr. Oxley Grabham, who
1 Field, January i, 1881; and Kelsall, Zoologist, 1884, p. 483, 1887, p. 89.
2 ‘Hampshire,’ Victoria History o f the Counties o f England. 3 1 Surrey,’ ibid.
* Zoologist, 1865, p. 9835. 5 Ibid. 1874, p. 4125.
v o l . m