40 BRITISH BATS. 



and he might have even eclipsed the attractions 

 of the kangaroo in the " onparalleled show." 



The mother evidently seemed to consider him of 

 the utmost importance, as she fussed about when 

 any one looked into the cage, erected the fur on her 

 back, and bit viciously at intruding fingers. The 

 young bat throve wonderfully well and lived with 

 me more than four months, when I gave him his 

 liberty with the others, as I was afraid they might 

 not bear the cpld of the winter so well in confine- 

 ment as if permitted to choose their own places for 

 hibernation. This is, I believe, the only instance 

 in which a nursling bat has been brought up 

 successfully. Knowledge of the habits of an 

 animal, proper food supplied at the right times, and 

 careful attention to cleanliness will however work 

 wonders. For these reasons I have never had a 

 single case of distemper among my dogs, and have 

 been equally successful in breeding and rearing 

 several species of dormice, squirrels, birds, and 

 various reptiles. I have also had several specimens 

 of the pipistrelle in my possession at various times, 

 and found them differ in their habits from the 

 noctules. The former preferred bluebottle flies 

 (Musca vomitoria) and M. ccesar as food, and I 

 found myself freed from considerable trouble in 

 procuring them a supply of nourishment, by placing 

 a piece of raw meat in their cage, so that they 



