107 



sites (of which several were briskly crawling among the hair) ; and 

 no\v and then it brought down one hind-foot, and scratched itself 

 with exactly the motion of a monkey ; and once I observed, after 

 scratching its breast, it delivered something into its mouth. The 

 flexibility of the unkle-joint was extreme, so that the foot could reach 

 with ease any part of the body. 



" 1 presented to one a large cockroach, which he seized greedily 

 and munched up, moving the jaws only vertically. The eating was 

 attended with a loud and very harsh cranching of the teeth — not pro- 

 duced by crushing the horny parts of the insect, for it was eąually 

 perceptible when munching a bit of soft flesh. The ja-vvs moved 

 rapidly, but yet the mastication was along operation, /or it appeared 

 to me to be performed almost mholly by the canines. As the insect was 

 progressively masticated, portions were allowed to fall into the cheek- 

 pouches (the one being pretty well filled before the other was used), 

 which when full hung dovvn on each side of the lower jaw, to the 

 depth of three or four lines, likę distended bags, displaying a Tvarted 

 surface. When the whole of one cockroach had been masticated, 

 and deposited in the pouches, it would take another, which was 

 gradually disposed of in the šame receptacles ; then, after a few 

 moments' intermission, by a contortion of the jaw, aided by the mo- 

 tion of the museles of the pouch, a portion was returned to the mouth, 

 and again masticated. This was repeated till aU was swallowed, and 

 the pouches appeared empty and contracted up out of sight. The 

 ■whole process was much likę rumination. Small portions of the 

 musele of a bird, which were presented to one, he chewed up and 

 deposited in the pouches ; but after being regurgitated, and a second 

 time masticated, they were expelled instead of being swallowed. 

 The process of eating seemed an awkward one ; it was a rapid suc- 

 cession of choppings with the long canines, through vvhich the tongue 

 was thrust about so nimbly that it appeared a wonder it was not 

 impaled perpetually. 



" In order to ręst, likę other bats they crawled upwards and back- 

 wards by means of the hind-feet, seeking the greatest elevation they 

 could attain wliich afForded a hold for the claws. They were sočiai, 

 though both were malęs ; usually hanging side by side, or sometimes 

 with the leg of one crossing the leg of the other, or even one upon 

 the other. Sometimes they brought their faces together, and licked 

 each other's open mouths in a singular manner ; and this appeared 

 grateful to them. I did not hear either of them click or sąueak. 



^ •' Pressed by numerous engagements, I was prevented from again 

 visiting the tree until about ten days after. I then went thither in 

 the afternoon, vv'ishing to see the bats emerge for the night ; but 

 though I waited till after sunset, not one appeared. The next mom- 

 ing I sraoked the cavity again, using the fumes of burning nitre and 

 sulphur, but entirely without success. I hence inferred that they 

 had deserted tbe tree as a dwelling on the first molestation. After 

 some months, hovvever, I again found it tenanted by the šame species, 

 if not the šame individuals, and succeeded in obtaining another spe- 



No. CLXX\'II. — Proceedings of the Zoological Society. 



