1162 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



"The fact mentioned above of the numerous parasites 

 infesting Bats is perhaps the most revoking feature in these 

 creatures. The enormous population oi Acan found upon their 

 bodies is due to the great generation of animal heat in their 

 close haunts, a condition conducive to a rapid increase of all 

 kinds of vermin. In this country the common bed-bug {Cimex 

 lectularis) is frequently found upon their fur. The entrance 

 of a Bat with its precious burden into the open window of a 

 farm-house is the solution of that frequently propounded 

 question of the despairing housewife — 'Where can the bugs 

 come from ?'" 



It is only fair to these much misunderstood and maligned 

 creatures of the night to add that no one else has remarked it, 

 and many observers, including so good an authority as S. N. 

 Rhoads, discredit the bed-bug theory altogether. 



