Hoary-bat Ii9a 



and you almost despair of seeing another Hoary-bat, when, 

 perhaps, on a clear, cold night, just as the darkness is becoming 

 too intense to permit you to shoot with accuracy, and you are 

 on the point of turning away, something appears above the 

 horizon that sends a thrill of excitement through your whole 

 frame. There is no mistaking the species — the size, the sharp, 

 narrow wings, and the swift flight serve instantly to distinguish 

 it from its nocturnal comrades. On he comes, but just before 

 arriving within gunshot he makes one of his characteristic zig- 

 zag side shoots, and you tremble as he momentarily vanishes 

 from view. Suddenly he reappears, his flight becomes more 

 steady, and now he sweeps swiftly towards you. No time is to 

 be lost, and it is already too dark to aim, so you bring the gun 

 quickly to your shoulder and fire. With a piercing, stridulous 

 cry, he falls to the earth. In an instant you are stooping to 

 pick him up, but the sharp, grating screams, uttered with a 

 tone of intense anger, admonish you to observe discretion. 

 With delight you cautiously take him in your hand and hurry 

 to the light to feast your eyes upon his rich and handsome 

 markings." 



The Bat is one of the masterpieces of Creation. It 

 exemplifies, in high degree, the perfect beast with perfect 

 senses, equipped with perfect flight, so there be few indeed 

 that in the scale outrank it. And the Prince among these 

 winged ones is the magnificent Hoary-bat, whose imperfect 

 history is before us. To the general and generous gifts of its 

 tribe it adds great size, with corresponding higher power, a 

 furry robe of exquisite beauty — a combination indeed of Sable, 

 seal, and Silver-fox — and last, a blameless life. Many of its 

 kin have equal and difi^erent claims to admiration and respect, 

 but all these beauties go for naught with the world; even as 

 Cyrano's nose outweighed all other worth, so one external 

 blemish damns the Bat, for on its face this noble creature bears 

 the mark of Cain, and every man's hand is against it. Its 

 face is its fortune, indeed, but alack! an ill-fortune proved, 

 for none can discern angel grace in a creature cursed with a 



