1174 Life-histories of Northern Animals 



light from their lurking places. * * * Their excursions invaria- 

 bly commenced with the cry of the 'whippoorwill,' both at 

 coming evening and at early dawn, and it was observed that 

 they always first directed their flight towards the river, un- 

 doubtedly to damp their mouse-like snouts, but not their 

 spirits, for it was likewise observed that they returned to play 

 hide-and-seek and indulge in all other imaginable gambols, 

 when, after gratifying their love of sport and satisfying their 

 EXTERMi- voracious appetites (as the absence of mosquitoes and gnats 

 MosQui- testified),' they would re-enter their habitations, again to emerge 

 ™^^ at the first signal of their feathered trumpeter. I thus ascer- 

 tained one very important fact, namely, that the Bat, or the 

 species which annoyed us, ate and drank twice in twenty-four 

 hours." 



So far as known, all our Bats live on insect food captured 

 and eaten while the Bat is on the wing, but the insect itself may 

 be either flying or perched on a flower or leaf. 



Some general remarks on methods of capture are given in 

 the chapter on M. lucifugus, but are equally applicable here. 



There is, however, one little ceremony with which it pre- 

 ludes every meal; and this observation applies certainly to 

 Myotis and Lasionycteris, and probably to all the others. On 

 leaving its den it flies first and straight to the nearest river or 

 pond and there drinks copiously as it skims over the surface. 

 Merriam says of this species, as he observed it in the Adiron- 

 dacks:' 



"In the early dusk the Silver-haired Bat emerges from its 

 hiding place. After a few turns about the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood it generally takes a pretty direct course for water. 

 I have seen it start from the summit of a high densely wooded 

 hill, circle around for a few minutes, and then, keeping far 

 above the tree-tops, sail leisurely towards a distant river till lost 

 from sight in the valley below. And, standing on the banks of 

 the large stream that winds along the foot of this hill, I have 

 seen the Bats flying over at a height of several hundred feet, all 

 moving in the same direction — towards a more distant river." 



' Ilalics mine.— E. T. S. ' Mam. Adir., 1884, p. 189. 



