BATS 



having been taken, I was able to let them go, 

 when they darted away swiftly, flying high up 

 over the trees and soon being lost to sight; 

 for bats, like owls, though they are creatures 

 of the night, can see perfectly well in the day- 

 time and are by no means dazzled by sunlight. 

 I have even seen a long-eared bat hunting in 

 bright sunshine on a warm spring day. It was 

 about twelve o'clock, and there was this bat 

 hawking and turning and twisting as happily as 

 if it were evening ! 



Another noctule I kept for some days, though 

 all bats are extremely difficult to feed and look 

 after. It was brought to me by some children 

 who had found it in a sleepy condition, but 

 when brought into the warm room it began to 

 revive. By evening it was quite lively, so I 

 tried to feed it. It was too early in the year 

 to get any insects, so I offered it very small bits 

 of meat, no bigger than a pin's head, on a pair of 

 forceps. It snapped at the forceps, seemingly 

 from anger and annoyance, but its teeth closed 

 on the morsel of meat. Finding the meat in its 

 mouth the bat turned it over and over, chewed 

 it thoughtfully for some minutes, and finally 

 swallowed it. It ate three more bits, then 

 refused morsel after morsel. It took them 



9 



