The same observers ihcline to the view that this Bat frequently passes the
winter in a solitary condition, which is a fact I have often observed. I have taken
four examples in St. Leonard’s Forest, all hibernating alone; and on four visits
to Mr. Heatley Noble’s cave at Henley I have seen eight Long-eared Bats, all of
which were hanging by themselves in crevices. Messrs. Oldham and Coward have
observed the same thing in the Alderley Caves; they have never met with the Bats
there in clusters. •
In summer, Long-eared Bats are frequently gregarious; I have found them
partial to old boathouses, cowsheds, and the roofs of churches. I believe this
species is the only British Bat which will pass the summer months actually in
the open, sheltered only by the roughness of the bark of a tree on which it has
chosen to sleep. On three occasions, when strolling through the woods of St.
Leonard’s Forest, close to my house, I have been attracted to a particular tree by
the cries of this Bat, and on searching the bark have found a Long-eared. In
one case the selected tree was a Scotch fir, and the Bat was snugly ensconced in
a depression in the bark; on another occasion, after half an hour’s search, rendered
difficult by the ventriloquial qualities of the Bat’s voice, I discovered three
together; they flew at once, in broad daylight, when I attempted to capture them.
Mr. Coward has found them clinging to the bark of a birch, and has known them
shelter in summer in the holes in beeches. They will also hide behind window
shutters; but in winter they show a marked preference for caves, though hollow
trees and the eaves of old houses are sometimes resorted to.
Changes of locality are by no means infrequent: a colony will abide for the
summer in some old building or shed, deserting the place for warmer situations
before the winter begins; but often these summer gatherings collect for only a
few weeks during the latter part of the summer or early in autumn. From this
Messrs. Alcock and Moffat deduce that ‘ since these swarms are so much more
frequently noticed in July and August than at other seasons; and since there is
also evidence’ (as in an instance cited) ‘ that they are not composed exclusively
of the young of the year’ (a statement which some authors have made), ‘ it seems
natural to infer that the social instincts of this species are strongest in summer,
and that individuals which have lived solitary lives during the rest of the year
become, at that season, gregarious.’
The Long-eared Bat is easily kept in confinement; I have known them
remain in good health for a considerable time under such conditions. Though
shy just at first, they soon become tame, and will fly to their owner and take a