WILD CREATURES OF GARDEN AND HEDGEROW 



off the forceps, turned them over in its mouth, 

 spit them out, or wiped them off its tongue on 

 to the twig on which it was sitting. It did 

 it something after the manner of a bird wiping 

 its beak. 



It is wonderful how particular bats are about 

 their fur, licking and dressing it most carefully 

 with their tiny pink tongues ; indeed they are 

 really most dainty creatures, and I became 

 very fond of a tiny pipistrelle that I kept for 

 a time in order to learn something of its ways. 

 Though some people think bats repulsive crea- 

 tures, any one who had watched it would soon 

 have changed their opinion. It was daintily 

 clad in soft, silky, brown fur, which was an 

 even tint above and below. Its movements 

 were very quick, and it could run like a mouse. 

 It could move almost as fast backwards as 

 forwards, indeed when climbing up a stick 

 seemed to prefer to shuffle up backwards. Of 

 course it is no hardship to a bat to have its 

 head lower than its tail, for when at rest they 

 always hitch themselves up by their hind feet 

 and hang head downwards. At first this bat 

 was much annoyed when touched, squeaking 

 vigorously, and continuing to do so long after 

 the offending hand had been taken away. As 

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