1894-95-] Daubenton's Bat ( Vespertilio Daubentont). 135 



The smell, however, on putting one's nose to the entrance, 

 was sufficiently strong to point to lengthened occupation, and 

 I am iuclined to think it is an old resort, from the state of the 

 droppings we brought out at the ends of the sticks we inserted 

 into the fissure. These cracks are very narrow, not exceeding 

 from a half inch to 4 inches in width at the outside of the rock. 



Having discovered the bats, we tried very hard to capture 

 some, and after much trouble we succeeded in catching a large 

 male, which we had gradually driven by persistent probing 

 from the depths of the fissure to near its opening, when it at 

 last tried to fly out and was caught in our landing-net. We 

 found that the other bats had retired to the inner part of the 

 split in the rock, and, as we could not reach them, for the time 

 determined to give them a rest, in the hope that some would 

 gradually come nearer to the opening. During the afternoon 

 of the same day we tried again, and succeeded after a great 

 deal of trouble in starting several bats out of the hole, but only 

 managed to capture one, which was found to be a large male. 

 Both these males were in what seemed a state of great excite- 

 ment when captured, and made far greater attempts to bite 

 than those captured previously. From the way they turned 

 upon the top-piece of my fishing-rod, which I used to drive 

 them out of the fissure before they finally flew out, I came to 

 the conclusion that they mistook it for some enemy, or more 

 possibly for an opponent of their own kind and sex. I kept 

 these two bats until the 23d July, and although I supplied 

 them with live flies and various other kinds of food, they 

 would not feed ; so I then sent them by post to Mr Eagle 

 Clarke. 



I kept all the bats captured in a small box, into which I 

 fixed a crossbar for the creatures to hang from, and made two 

 small holes in the lid for air. At first, after being put into 

 the box, the bats all huddled into a corner, and continued to 

 do so for the second day. After that they used the crossbar, 

 and hung suspended head downwards, as is usual with the 

 species. They made a chirping noise, and were restless for a 

 short time when first immured, but soon became quiet, and 

 remained so until after dark, when they became very active, 

 and made such a noise that they prevented sleep until put out 

 of my bedroom. 



