pursue some object in the air : therefore, unless it is very clear that 

 they are not in the least degree insectivorous, I think, that they 

 would not pass over a moth or flying ant that crossed their line of 

 flight. I attempted to calculate the numbers in a coloDy, probably the 

 one so well described by Tickell, page 19 of Jerdou, as it was close 

 to his house in Rangoon. In five minutes a friend and I counted 

 upwards of six hundred as they passed over head en route to their 

 feeding grounds : supposing their nightly exodus to continue for 

 twenty minutes, this would give upwards of two thousand in one 

 roosting place exclusive of those that took a different direction. 

 The colony of night herons, that, unknown to most, inhabit the 

 cantonment of Rangoon during the dry season, almost always 

 crossed their flight as each force left its respective head-quarters. 

 The Burmaus and many of the Madrasees are very fond of the 

 flesh of these animals, and I have known one officer who like 

 Colonel Sykes, page 19 of Jerdon, spoke in high terms of it, " de 

 gustibus non est disputandum." 



I have heard from excellent authority, that in the hot season of 

 1866, many flying foxes from the colony that infests the neighbour- 

 hood of the Poonamallee Road and Saint Andrew's Church at Madras, 

 were affected by the hot land winds in the manner mentioned at 

 page 19 of Jerdon, and were picked up dead. 



No. 6. Megaderma Lyra. 



JERDOW, No. 15, PAGE 22 ; LARGE-EARED VAMPIRE BAT. 



In reference to Mr. Bly th's statement, page 22 of Jerdon, " that 

 " this bat sucks the blood from other bats, fixing on them behind the 

 " ear, and sucking the blood." I remember in Rangoon a case clearly 

 proved, where a tame canary was thus killed by a bat. I think 

 that the mate of the bird was destroyed in the same way a few 

 days afterwards, but of the first case I have not any doubt. 



No. 7. Nycticejus Heathii. 

 JERDON, No. 42, PAGE 37 ; LARGE YELLOW BAT. 

 One of the houses at Samulcottah, Northern Circars, was infest- 

 ed and made almost nninhabi table by a colony of large yellow 



