Manchester Memoirs, Vol. Hi. (1908), No. 11. 11 



throbs, especially in the abdominal region, but it is not 

 until it is nearly awake that it begins to move its head, 

 ears, and facial adornment. When fully awake these are 

 in constant rapid movement. 



The conclusions in my former paper (i) were 

 confirmed by the behaviour of my recent captives. I 

 remarked (p. 322): — " i. The Greater Horseshoe, if the 

 weather be open at the end of December and beginning 

 of January, is not in a state of hibernation, It moves in 

 the caves, awakening without artificial stimulus, and leaves 

 the caves apparently in search of food." 



In captivity we cannot get rid of " artificial stimulus " 

 entirely, but my bats awoke, as a rule naturally, night 

 after night, but during the frosts they occasionally slept 

 for one, two, or three nights without awakening, although 

 the temperature in the room was considerably higher than 

 in the open. 



" 4. Food is conveyed into the caves from without 

 and devoured there, the bats hanging whilst they feed." 



My bats certainly show that it is a rule to carry food 

 to some foothold before devouring it. 



" 5. Certain creatures are captured and eaten in the 

 caves." 



"6. Creatures incapable of flight are captured by the 

 bats and devoured." 



By seeing the bats pick up beetles from the carpet 

 or from the floor of the cage I was quite satisfied that 

 they find and catch spiders and flightless beetles in this 

 way, in the caves and probably also in the open. But 

 from the way in which the bats skilfully secured flying 

 beetles it is perfectly evident that in the free state they 

 constantly secure their food on the wing. Mr. Bruce F. 

 Cummings kept, for a few days, a Lesser Horseshoe Bat 



