ITS HABITS. 79 



properly be called the thumbs, and being armed at the 

 end with a sharp and hooked claw, enables the bat to 

 adhere closely to walls, the clefts of rocks, and such 

 like places, where they remain in a torpid state during 

 the winter, hanging by their claws with their heads 

 downwards, and their wings wrapped round them, 

 probably for warmth. 



Mr. Palmer, perceiving that we were desirous of 

 knowing more of the habits of these curious animals, 

 which partake so largely of the nature of both birds 

 and beasts, related some experiments that had been 

 made with them, A gentleman * kept one of them 

 for the purpose of examining it more particularly. 

 He offered it a common house-fly when it was asleep, 

 and, in order to rouse it, touched its nose with the fly. 

 The bat, sensible that its prey was at hand, made a kind 

 of smack with its mouth, then threw itself suddenly 

 forward by his hind feet, and immediately devoured the 

 insect. A large blue flesh-fly was afterwards present- 

 ed to it, and was received in the same manner as the 

 former one ; but this fly was so large, that the bat 

 was obliged to have recourse to contrivance, to get it 

 into its mouth. He raised himself somewhat higher 

 than usual on his fore legs ; bent his head, with great 

 dexterity, under his belly, and forced the fly into his 

 mouth, by thrusting it from side to side against that 

 * Mr. Bingley. 



