1865.] REVIEW — ALLEN ON BATS. 149 



" In the main building nine thousand six hundred and forty 

 bats, from actual counting, were destroyed. This was ascertained 

 in the following manner : After the battling of each evening the 

 dead were swept in one corner of the room, and in the morning, 

 before removing them to the manure-heap, they were carefully 

 counted and recorded. Many had been killed before and some few 

 after the reckoning was made, and were not included in it, nor 

 were those killed under the adjoining laundry roof. The massacre 

 commenced by killing fewer the first evenings, the number in- 

 creasing, and then diminishing towards the end ; but it was gene- 

 rally from fifty or a hundred, up to six hundred and fifty, — the 

 highest mortality of any evening's work, — dwindling down to eight, 

 five, three, and two. 



" This species of bat is generally small, black, and very lively. 

 Some smaller than the ordinary size were found, probably young 

 ones, and one or two larger, supposed to be grandfathers, or of a 

 reddish hue, which was thought to be from age. These vermin 

 were generally more or less covered with a small-sized bug, not 

 very dissimilar to the common chinch, but of a different species. 

 As previously stated, the bat has a very disagreeable odor, which 

 pertains to its ejection. 



" The manure, as well as the bodies of the slain, was used to fer- 

 tilize the flower and vegetable garden ; and thus, in some degree, 

 they served to compensate us for the annoyance to which we had 

 been subjected. The manure, however, required to be applied 

 with caution ; since, if used in too large a quantity, it appeared to 

 burn the organism of the plants. 



" To remove the very disagreeable odor which remained in the 

 upper part of the house, various kinds of disinfectants were em- 

 ployed with some advantage ; but the most effectual method re- 

 sorted to was that of opening holes of about four inches square, two 

 at each gable-end, to permit a current of air to pass through. 



" These holes were covered with iron gauze to prevent the re- 

 entrance of any of the remainder of the army of the enemy which 

 might hover around the premises. 



"At the end of five years the odor has now nearly disappeared, 

 being hardly perceptible during a continuance of very damp 

 weather." 



The fact mentioned above of the numerous parasites infesting 

 bats is perhaps the most revolting features in these creatures. 

 The enormous population of Acari found upon their bodies is due 

 to the great generation of animal heat in their close haunts, a 



