232 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



appreciably. Some twenty years ago, perhaps longer, at Tavares, Fla, , a 

 development company undertook to build a winter resort. Tavares was 

 at the time a small municipality with perhaps two or three hundred 

 inhabitants located among the lakes in the southern part of the State. 



Among the earlier efforts at developments an opera house was con- 

 structed, but owing to the freeze of 1895 it was never completed. The 

 municipality never grew to amount to anything ; in fact, I think the 

 number of inhabitants now is what it was about then. The doors and 

 windows of the lower floor of this opera house were securely fastened up 

 to keep intruders out, but the upper windows were only closed by loose 

 boards, which soon dropped out, making it easily accessible to bats. They 

 took advantage of it and in the course of a few years were there in count- 

 less thousands. I know of no way of estimating the number, but you 

 may get some idea of it from the fact that the only time I was ever there 

 at the right hour was on a trip to Eustis. The train stopped at Tavares 

 one half-hour before sunset, and remained there something like forty-five 

 minutes. I took advantage of the occasion to see the bats emerge from 

 the building. I had only been watching a few minutes when they began 

 first a single one, then two or three together, and as if the rustle started 

 them, then they began seriously flying out of the window with incredible 

 swiftness. There must have been at least half a hundred a second. I 

 watched this stream of bats pouring out for half an hour or so, and was 

 told by some of the residents of Tavares that it would continue until 

 something like half an hour after dark, making probably two hours 

 altogether. 



It was on this trip, now seven years ago, that I was making some 

 mosquito observations, and I have to confess that I have never seen more 

 mosquitoes in the interior of the State, than I saw at that time. 



Some two years ago the opera house in question was cleaned out 

 and converted into a packing house. I have since made inquiry of the 

 citizens in the vicinity of Tavares and Eustis, as to whether they have 

 experienced any appreciable difference in the number of mosquitoes now, 

 and when the bat roost was at its height, and am convinced that the 

 difference, to say the least, is not such as to cause one to notice it. 



Again thanking you for your information, I am, very truly and 

 cordially yours, 



(Signed) Hiram Byrd. 



