Vespertilio melanorhinus [Merriam], N. Amer. Fauna, 3:46, September 11, 1890.
Myotis subulatus melanorhinus [Miller] and [Allen], U. S. Nat. Mus. Bull., 144:169, May 25, 1928.
Type.—Obtained on San Francisco Mountain, 8250 ft. elevation, Coconino County, Arizona, by C. H. [Merriam] and V. [Bailey] on August 4, 1889; type in United States National Museum.
Measurements.—Three males and 2 females from eastern Washington average: total length 77; length of tail 37; hind foot 7; ear 15; height of tragus 8. One weighed 5.4 grams.
Distribution.—Desert areas of eastern Washington, including the Columbian Plateau and the lower Columbia River Valley. Marginal records are: 5 mi. S Grand Coulee Dam (W. W. D.) in the north, Wenatchee (W. W. D.) in the northwest, Lyle (W. W. D.) in the southwest, and Bly ([Miller] and [Allen], 1928: 171) in the southeast.
Description.—Myotis subulatus is closely similar to Myotis californicus, but is more orange in color and has the skin on the face more nearly black. Specimens cannot be identified with certainty until the cleaned skulls are examined. The more flattened cranium and less abruptly rising forehead separate Myotis subulatus from M. californicus.
This species is confined to the United States and northern Mexico. Two races are recognized by [Miller] and [Allen] (1928), of which one occurs in Washington. It is the commonest bat in the desert of eastern Washington. It lives far from trees on plains and in sandy or rocky areas, emerging rather early in the evening. It is not difficult to shoot. Its flight is erratic. The animal usually hunts in large, irregular circles at 10 to 25 feet from the ground. It has not been found in its daytime retreat but may hide in crevices in rocky outcrops. Near Vantage, Grant County, individuals were shot as they hung up in a concrete underpass to digest food. The stomachs of specimens taken were so crammed with the remains of insects that their abdomens were greatly distended. The underpass seemed to be only a resting place, not inhabited by day. Others were taken when they came to rest in the loft of a barn at Selah, Yakima County. They usually did not arrive at the barn until an hour after sunset and were still present there at midnight.
Lasionycteris noctivagans (Le Conte)
Silver-haired bat
V[espertilio]. noctivagans Le Conte, McMurtrie's Cuvier, Anim. Kingd., 1:431, 1831.
Vesperugo noctivagans True, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., 7:602, 1885.