THE COMMON OR LITTLE BAT. 41 



It is a vulgar notion, that Bats, when they are on 

 a flat surface, have not the power of rising into the 

 air; and that they must crawl to an eminence before 

 they are able to expand their wings for flight. This 

 is by no means true; for, of several individuals that 

 I have kept, both of the Common and of the Long- 

 eared Bats, there was not one that could not, with 

 the greatest apparent ease, rise immediately from 

 the floor of my room. One of the latter species, 

 that happened to be peculiarly agile, could fly, 

 without any difficulty, even from the bottom of a 

 box that was four inches deep, and considerably- 

 less than six inches wide. 



The Common Bats, like the rest of their tribe, 

 breed in the summer, and produce two young ones 

 at a birth, which they suckle from teats situated on 

 the breast. 



Towards the end of autumn they retire into 

 caverns, or holes of old buildings or trees, from 

 whence they do not often again come forth till the 

 return of warmer weather. Here they suspend 

 themselves by their four legs, having their head 

 downward, and being closely enveloped in their 

 wings. 



For some time previously to their retirement, 

 they are occasionally to be seen in the evenings, 

 collected together in great multitudes. Mr. White, 

 in going from Richmond to Sunbury, on a very 

 warm autumnal evening, saw an immense number 

 of Bats betwixt the two places. He says that the 



air 



