September 151 



Some of the old trees in my woods have 

 hollow stems, and in these bats congregate in large 

 numbers : we are reminded of the fact by the 

 powerful and far from agreeable odour these trees 

 emit as we pass. 



The illustration shows a long-eared bat when 

 resting head downwards. A moment or two after 

 alighting it folds up its long ears and places 

 them nearly out of sight under its arms, and then 

 the little creature looks like a mere ball of grey fur. 



When on the ground a bat can only scuttle along 

 in a very awkward fashion, as if on hands and knees, 

 and finds great difficulty in taking flight from a 

 level surface. 



I have sometimes watched a bat in my room 

 where, on warm summer nights, they occasionally 

 pay me a visit, and I observe that it generally 

 makes its way to a curtain, and climbs up by its 

 hooked wings until it is high enough to dart off 

 into the air. 



Bats should never be wantonly destroyed, for they 

 are perfectly harmless and extremely useful. They 

 carry on at night the work that swallows are doing 

 throughout the day clearing the air of millions of 

 flies, gnats and moths, which would otherwise be 

 a torment to us and very injurious to the farmer 

 and gardener. 



BUTTERFLIES IN SUNSHINE 



I have been fascinated this morning by seeing one 

 of nature's lovely wayside pictures. On the pale lilac 

 flower-heads of a tall scdum six or seven richly-tinted 

 butterflies sat basking in the warm sunshine. 



