A WALK THROUGH AN ENGLISH LANE. 107 



air is almost silent, except for certain odd squeaking 

 noises that reach our ears. They cannot be made by 

 a mouse, for they are too shrill ; and besides, they come 

 from above, and not from the earth. True, I can 

 exactly imitate the sound by rubbing two keys together, 

 but as keys don't go flying through the air, it will be 

 safer to attribute the sound to the Bats, which are just 

 coming abroad to begin their evening's work of gnat- 

 hunting. Here they come! One, two, three ten, 

 twenty of them, fluttering with erratic but rapid wing 

 like black butterflies against the darkening sky, and 

 filling the air with their tiny shrieks, that pierce the 

 ear like audible needles. You may catch a bat easily 

 enough by sweeping the net sharply across its course as 

 it flies down the Lane : only be chary of handling it, 

 for its coat is always full of parasites which are by no 

 means pleasant to look at. Put it on the ground, and 

 see how beautifully its long membranous ears are 

 formed, and into what graceful curves they are thrown, 

 as the creature shuffles over the ground with that 

 ludicrously awkward hobble which always reminds one 

 of jumping in sacks. See, it spreads its wings and 

 tries to fly, but only succeeds in tumbling on its nose. 

 At last it scrambles to the top of the path, flings itself 

 into the ditch and so obtains sufficient impulse for its 

 wings, and goes gladly off through the air. 



Look under the hedge, and see how that leaf is 

 moving along the ground, as if by magic. Stoop very 

 gently, and you will see that a Worm has got hold of 



