GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF BATS. 



77 



animal; and one cannot err in determining the readi- 

 ness and manner of flight after looking at the con- 

 struction of the wings." 



In general the flight of Wing-handed Animals is 

 by short stages rather than by sustained motion. It 



the body. The strong breast muscles, the light 

 lower part of the body, the elongation of arms and 

 hands which sometimes reach three times the length 

 of the body," and, lastly, the flying membrane itself, 

 are all conducive to this mode of locomotion. Soar- 



•om repose possibly by the ai 



like a great cloak is the membrane di 

 hang from the long, twisted vine. Froi 

 five feet as they fly. Their home is in J 

 where they are very destructive to orcl 

 vour only at night. (Pteropus edulis.) 



-tcli from nature presents the 

 eir sleeping-place in the forest, 

 ist while he studies them. How 

 awn closely about them as they 

 l tip to tip the wings are nearly 

 va, Sumatra, Benda and Timor, 

 irds. the fruit of which they de- 



is produced by a constant movement of the arms. 

 While the bird can soar, the Bat can only flutter. 

 Its fluttering is greatly promoted by the structure of 



ing is impossible, for none of the bones of the Bat 

 are filled with air, the body does not contain the 

 large air cavities of the bird, and, which is the chief 

 reason, the Bat does not possess the strong feathers 

 that are used to give impulse and guide the course. 

 Its flight is a constant beating of the air and never 

 a long shooting or gliding about without motion of 

 the wings. In order to be able to stretch their mem- 

 brane and readily and quickly take to flight, all Bats 

 while in repose hook the claws of their hind paws 

 into some lofty place, and suspend themselves from 

 it, heads downward. 



It must be said that their hands are not only used 

 in flying, but also in running on the level ground. 

 Their walk is not really so bad as one might be led 

 to suppose ; still, it is nothing but a wretched hob- 

 bling along. A few species make an exception to 

 this rule and run nearly as fast as a Rat. 

 Peculiar Habits AH Bats sleep by day and fly about 

 and Character- at night. The majority make their 

 istics of Bats, appearance at dusk and retire to 

 their hiding places long before dawn ; some species 

 come out between three and five o'clock in the after- 

 noon and flicker merrily about in spite of the 

 brightest sunshine. 



