WHAT ARE BATS? 



5*5 



Some twenty-five years later, Ray gave them their true position 

 among quadrupeds a position which they have ever since retained. 



The Teutonic mind seems early to have appreciated the true na- 

 ture of bats, as we may judge from the German name, Fledermaus 

 and the old English term, flittermouse. 



Let us look a little closely at our subject of to-day the bat. 



In the first place, there is a little rounded body, covered with soft 

 fur, which is indeed, what Shakespeare calls it, "wool," when giving 

 the ingredients of the caldron of MacbetlCs witches. 



There is a small head, little eyes, large ears, a tail, and two pairs 

 of limbs of very unequal size. The hind-pair (the legs) are of mod- 

 erate length and singularly disposed, so that the knees are turned 

 almost backward, like our elbows. 



Each leg terminates in a foot, furnished with five toes, each with 

 a long, curved claw, all of about the same length. These toes are not 

 webbed, like those of a duck, but are free. 



The other pair of limbs (the arms and hands) are of exceeding 

 length. Both the arm and forearm are long especially the latter 

 but it is the fingers which are so wonderfully drawn out, and they are 

 webbed, like the toes of a water-fowl. Moreover, the web not only con- 

 nects these long fingers together, but also connects them with the 

 sides of the body and with the legs (as far as the ankle) ; and does 

 not stop even here, but continues on to the tail, thus connecting it 

 with the two legs. 



This large web or membranous expansion has two names. The 

 part belonging to the hand and joining the sides of the body (which 

 is supported by the fingers as an umbrella by its rods) is termed the 

 alar membrane. The part connecting the legs with the tail is called 

 the interfemoral membrane. 



Looking more closely, however, we find that, though the foul- 

 fingers of each hand are thus bound together, the thumb is free, stand- 

 ing out at a wide angle, and furnished with a very long and strong- 

 hooked claw. Of the four fingers, it is only the first which is clawed. 



The uses made by the bat of its singularly-formed limbs are, of 

 course, in exact correspondence with their structure. The fore-limbs 

 are true organs of flight ; the hind-limbs and tail have a riidcler-like 

 action. Besides flight (their predominant mode of motion), bats can 

 crawl upon the surface of the earth with an awkward, shuffling gait. 

 When so crawling, the wings are closed (the long fingers then lying- 

 side by side), and the animal rests on its wrists and hind-feet, the 

 body being dragged forward by the help of the strong, hooked thumb- 

 nails, which also help it to climb with ease up any rough surface, even 

 though perpendicular. 



"When at rest, bats usually hang suspended, head downward, by 

 the claws of their feet, though occasionally they turn round and hang 

 from the claws of their thumbs. 



