122 THE LONG-EARED BAT. 
The enormous ears, from which the animal derives its name, are most beautiful 
organs. Their texture is exquisitely delicate, and the bat has the power of throwing 
them into graceful folds at every movement, thereby giving to its countenance a vast 
amount of expression. The figure on p. 121, exhibits “the animal as it ¢ appears on the 
wing, and with its ears fully extended. But the present engraving shows the head of 
this bat, as it appears while the ears are disposed in slight folds and gently curved. 
It sometimes happens that the Long-eared Bat has lived long in captivity, and even 
produced and nurtured its young under such conditions. 
For the following very interesting account of a maternal 
bat, Iam indebted to the kindness of Mrs. 8. C. Hall. 
“While living in an old rambling country house in 
Treland, without any companions of my own age,—an only 
solitary child left (after my ‘lessons’ were finished) to 
create my own amusements—I made friends, of course, 
with our own dogs and horses; and as all the servants 
loved ‘little Miss, and anxiously ministered to her desires, 
HEAD OF LONG-EARED BAT. I became well acquainted with the habits and peculiarities 
of the wild creatures in ow own grounds and neighbour- 
hood. We were within a mile-of the sea, and there was a 
beautiful walk from the dear old house, on to the cliff that sheltered our bathing cove, 
which I have traversed, accompanied by our Newfoundland dog, the old retriever-spaniels, 
and a fine deerhound, at nearly all hours of the day and night. 
“A lovely ivy-covered cottage near the orchard, which, before I was born, was 
occupied by an old gardener, was at last given over to my menagerie, as the only way 
of keeping the ‘big house’ free from ‘Miss Mary’s pets’ My ‘help’ was a strong- 
bodied girl, one of the ‘ weeders, who had the rare merit of not being afraid of anything 
‘barring a bull;’ and she always intimated if I made a pet of a bull, she would ‘ wash 
her hands clean out of the menageeree for ever—Amin ! 
“As I never did, poor Sally remained my assistant until the death of my dear 
grandmother broke up the establishment ; and I came to England in the first blush of 
girlhood, to be civilised and educated, and made ‘like other young ladies,’ 
“ But those years were precious years to me ; I grew, and fostered in those wild hours, 
an acquaintance with, and a love of Nature, which has refreshed my lfe with greenest 
memories. My dear young mother knew every bud and blossom of the parterre “and the 
field, and though she disliked my seal, and obliged my young badger to be sent away 
(1 was not very sorry for him, he bit so furiously, and would not be friends with the dogs, 
which the seal was), yet she tolerated my owl, my kites, and even a most prosperous 
colony of mice of many colours, and a black rat who was really an affectionate 
companion. My hare 1 was permitted to keep at the house, for he would hold no 
friendship with rabbits. 
“Song birds I never attempted to cage, but robins and pigeons followed me (according 
to Sally), ‘like their born mother.’ 
“The gable end of an old stable was covered by one of the finest myrtles I ever 
saw: 1t was twenty-two feet high and seventeen wide, and standing out here and there 
from the wall. Swallows and bats loved to shelter in the holes of the old building. I 
was just a small bit afraid of the ‘leather-winged bat ;’ my nurse often told me how “they 
sucked cows, and even scratched out children’s eyes 
Ss, 
“But one cold spring morning I saw a boy tossing into the air and catching again what 
I fancied to be a large mouse : of course, ny sy mpathy awoke at once, and I ached to the 
rescue ; 1t proved to be a half. dead bat, very large and fat, its beautiful broad ears were 
still erect, and when I took it in my hands I felt its heart beat. I placed it in a basket, 
covered it with cotton, and put it inside the high nursery fender. I peeped frequently 
under the lid, and at last had the pleasure of seeing it hanging bat-fashion on the side of 
the basket, its keen bright eyes watching every mov yement, When it was fully restored, I 
endeavoured to take it out, and then discovered that one of its hind feet had been crushed, 
and was hanging by a bit of skin. With trembling hands I removed the little foot, and 
applied some salve to the extremity. 
