106 



however witliin the cavity, and I then noticed that beneath the hol- 

 low was piled a heap, several feet in diameter, and at least a foot in 

 height, of a soft granular substance, which on examination I found 

 to be the dung of some insectivorous animals, with a very rank pe- 

 culiar odour. I had now no dnubt of the tree being the abode of 

 bats, but had little expectation of being able to ascertam the fact. 

 While peering caiefully up, however, I distinctly heard the flapping 

 of wings and some shrill sąueakings, and this determined me to fire 

 my fowling-piece at randora up the cavity. This I did twice, and 

 though I brought down nothing but a little rotten wood, yet presently, 

 when the smoke had a little subsided, on looking up again I dis- 

 cerned amidst the darkness one or two heads, -vyliich seemed those of 

 rats, and immediately another just above them, evidently crawling 

 downwards. I pointed them out to my negro lad, \vho saw two or 

 three more, and presently, as it became more clear of smoke, the 

 ■vvhole sides of the cavity appeared fuU of curious round faces. I 

 now fired, no longer at random, and had the pleasure of bringing 

 down this beautiful bat, which fell dead. The smoke of this dis- 

 charge made the others more anxious to come down to the fresh air, 

 and \ve could see them descending fast, head downwards. As the 

 shot lacerated the membranes considerably, I bethought myself of 

 another plan : cutting a long switch with a fevv twigs at its extre- 

 mity, I stood at the bottom and ivhipped one down ; he came sprawl- 

 ing with expanded ^vings on the ground, apparently with but little 

 notion of flight, although unwounded. On being taken up by the 

 ■wings he displayed uncommon fierceness, biting savagely and power- 

 fuUy anything within his reach. Three or four more I obtained in 

 the šame manner and brought home. 



" When thro\vn up into the air in a room, they would not fly, but 

 merely opened the volar membranes to break their fall, as with a 

 parachute. Two, which I kept alive, hung themselves up by the 

 hind-feet from the side of a cage into which I put them, and would 

 not movė, except to shift an inch or two ; nor did the approach and 

 arrival of night excite them to activity. One, however, which had 

 contrived to secrete himself in the room, -vvhen, having taken both , 

 out of the cage, I turned my back for a moment, and which I had 

 vainly searched for, I found at night, by going into the room \vith a 

 candle : hearing a scrambling, I looked up to the top of the wall, 

 where was my lošt bat, endeavouring to suspend himself. On being 

 touched he flew ofF, but immediately alighted, and so repeatedly ; 

 sometimes, -vvhen he failed of taking a hold of the wall, he came to 

 the floor, -vvhenee he readily rose, though very obHąuely. I was 

 struck with his expanse of wing vvhen performing his noiseless flight 

 around the room, and -vvith his resemblance to a bird, aided by the 

 enormous interfemoral membrane, which being expanded by the hind- 

 legs and depressed, looked likę the broad tail of a flying bird, and 

 appeared to guide the motion in likę manner. 



" While taking some drawings of one, as it hung frora the immense 

 hind-feet, I was amused to see how it \vūuld thrust its nose into 

 every part of the volar membranes, apparently searching for para- 



