THE 
LONDON ann EDINBURGH 
PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE 
AND 
JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. 
[THIRD SERIES.] 
APRIL 1836. 
LIII. Cbservations upon the Habits of the Plecotus auritus, 
or Long-eared Bat. By J. pr C. Sowersy, Esq., F.L.S.* 
Axsour the beginning of August last, a living specimen 
of the Long-eared Bat was given to my children, We 
constructed a cage for him by covering a box with gauze and 
making a round hole in the side fitted with a phial cork. 
When he was awake we fed him with flies introduced through 
this hole, and thus kept him for several weeks. The animal 
soon became familiar, and immediately a fly was presented 
alive at the hole he would run or fly from any part of the 
cage and seize it in our fingers, but a dead or quiet fly he 
never would touch, At other times dozens of flies and grass- 
hoppers have been left in his cage, and waking him by their 
noise, he dexterously caught them as they hopped or flew 
about, but uniformly disregarded them while they were at 
rest. ‘The common Blatta, hard Beetles, and Caterpillar he 
refused, even after he had been induced by their moving to 
attack them. As we became still more familiar our new friend 
was invited to join in our evening amusements, to which he 
contributed his. full share by flitting round the room, at times 
settling upon our persons and permitting us to handle and 
caress him. He announced his being awake by a shrill chirp, 
* Read at the first Philosophical Meeting of the Camden Literary and 
Scientific Institution, January 26, 1836: and now communicated by the 
Author. 
Third Series. Vol. 8. No. 47. April 1836, 2E 
