Natural history notes on three bat species.

Three bat species have long been considered to occur within the state of Rajasthan--the Lesser Mouse-Eared bat Myotis blythii Tomes, 1857, the Large Barbastelle Barbastella darjelingensis Hodgson, in Horsfield, 1855 and the Serotine Bat Eptesicus serotinus pachyomus Tomes, 1857. Rajasthan is considered the type locality for two of these species--Myotis blythii and Eptesicus serotinus pachyomus. Despite targeted surveys, these bats have not been observed in Rajasthan for more than a century and a half. A chronological review of published literature reveals that the bats were never originally claimed to occur in Rajasthan and their inclusion among bats occurring in Rajasthan was a consequence of assumptions perpetuated as facts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]