BATS. 6 1 



them, and generally eats two or three by way 

 of an appetiser. 



Very often a moth gets its long proboscis en- 

 tangled in a blossom and flies off with it, which 

 looks very curious in the dim light, as no moth 

 is distinguishable, only the flower moving rapidly 

 away. 



The bats are my rivals in the evening, as the 

 birds are in the daytime. The air is sometimes 

 quite thick with them, and they circle round my 

 head so closely that I can feel their wings fan- 

 ning my cheeks. Occasionally one will startle 

 me by flying into the room when I am sitting 

 quietly reading, and after flying about wildly 

 for a little while will usually cling to something 

 near the lamp, as if fascinated by the light, 

 and sometimes one will hook itself on to the 

 back of my chair and remain quiet for some 

 time. These I catch in the net and let fly 

 away, always taking care of my fingers, as their 

 little teeth are very sharp. One rather large 

 bat, with a head very like that of a horse, was 

 captured by a friend, who tried to keep it in a 



