44 THE LONG-EARED BAT. 



and they, in no instance, approached either the 

 candles or fire. The surface of wing in these ani- 

 mals, proportioned to the weight of their body, 

 was so great, that they flew without any appearance 

 of difficulty; nor was their flight interrupted by 

 any of those jerks or vaccillations that are ob- 

 servable in the motion of Bats, when flying about 

 for food in the open air. 



As the hooked claws with which Bats catch hold 

 of objects in alighting upon them, are situated on 

 the members by which they have their motion, a 

 considerable adroitness is necessary in this opera- 

 tion of alighting. Whenever the animals in my 

 room were inclined to repose for a moment, and 

 observed a place suitable for them to rest upon, 

 they flew up gently against it, and seldom failed to 

 catch hold with either one or both of their claws; 

 but, if this hold was not firm, and could not easily 

 be made so, they loosed themselves, again flew 

 round the room, and tried other places, till they 

 found one that perfectly suited them. The shaded 

 part at the top of my book-case was that which the 

 animals chiefly aimed at, and on which, after my 

 often removing them, they always took their firmest 

 lodgments. 



When their hold was firm, they never failed to 

 transfer their hinder feet to the place on which 

 they at first clung with their fore ones; hanging 

 thus with their heads downward, which seems to be 

 the natural sleeping position of all the English Bats. 



It 



