THE BAT KIND. 



383 



are now universally made to take their place 

 among quadrupeds, to which their bringing 

 forth their young alive, their hair, their teeth, 

 as well as the rest of their habitudes and confor- 

 mation, evidently entitle them. Pliny, Gesner, 

 and Aldrovandus, who placed them among 

 birds, did not consider that they wanted every 

 character of that order of animals, except the 

 power of flying. Indeed, when this animal is 

 seen with an awkward and struggling motion, 

 supporting itself in the air at the dusk of the 

 evening, it presents in some measure the ap- 

 pearance of a bird ; but naturalists, whose 

 business it is to examine it more closely, to 

 watcli its habitudes, and inspect into its for- 

 mation, are inexcusable for concurring in the 

 mi take. 



The bat in scarce any particular resembles 

 the bird, except in its power of sustaining 

 itself in the air. It brings forth its young alive ; 

 it suckles them ; its rnouth is furnished with 

 teeth ; its lungs are formed like those of quad- 

 rupeds ; its intestines, and its skeleton, have a 

 complete resemblance, and even are, in some 

 measure, seen to resemble those of mankind.* 



The bat most common in England, is about 

 the size of a mouse ; or nearly two inches and 

 a half long. The membranes that are usually 

 called wings, are, properly speaking, an ex- 

 tension of the skin all round the body, except 

 the head, which, when the animal flies, is kept 

 stretched on every side, by the four interior 

 toes of the fore feet, which are enormously 

 long, and serve like masts that keep the can- 

 vas of a sail spread, and regulate its motions. 1 " 

 The first toe is quite loose, and serves as a 

 heel when the bat walks, or as a hook, when 

 it would adhere to any thing. The hind feet 

 are disengaged from the surrounding skin, and 

 divided into five toes, somewhat resembling 

 those of a mouse. The skin by which it flies 

 is of a dusky colour. The body is covered 

 with a short fur, of a mouse colour, tinged 

 with red. The eyes are very small ; the ears 

 like those of a mouse. 



This species of the bat is very common in 

 England. It makes its first appearance early 

 in summer, and begins its flight in the dusk of 

 the evening. It principally frequents the sides 

 of woods, glades, and shady walks ; and is 

 frequently observed to skim along the surface 



Penis propendens. 



of pieces of water. It pursues gnats, moths, 

 and nocturnal insects of every kind. It feeds 

 upon these ; but will not refuse meat, whenever 

 it can find it. Its flight is a laborious, irregu- 

 lar movement ; and if it happens to be inter- 

 rupted in its course, it cannot readily prepare 

 for a second elevation ; so that if it strikes 

 against any object, and falls to the ground, it 

 is usually taken. It appears only in the most 

 pleasant evenings, when its prey is generally 

 abroad, and flies in pursuit with its mouth 

 open. At other times it continues in its retreat ; 

 the chink of a ruined building, or the hollow of 

 a tree. Thus this little animal, even in sum- 

 mer, sleeps the greatest part of its time, never 

 venturing out by day-light, nor in rainy 

 weather ; never hunting in quest of prey, but 

 for a small part of the night, and then return- 

 ing to its hole. But its short life is still more 

 abridged by continuing in a torpid state during 

 the winter. At the approach of the cold sea- 

 son, the bat prepares for its state of lifeless 

 inactivity, and seems rather to choose a place 

 where it may continue safe from interruption, 

 than where it may be warmly or conveniently 

 lodged. For this reason it is usually seen 

 hanging by its hooked claws to the roofs of 

 caves, regardless of the eternal damps that sur- 

 round it. The bat seems the only animal that 

 will venture to remain in these frightful sub- 

 terranean abodes, where it continues in a tor- 

 pid state, unaffected by every change of the 

 weather. Such of this kind as are not provi- 

 dent enough to procure themselves a deep re- 

 treat, where the cold and heat seldom vary, 

 are sometimes exposed to great inconveniences, 

 for the weather often becomes so mild in the 

 midst of winter as to warm them prematurely 

 into life, and to allure them from their holes in 

 quest of food, when nature has not provided a 

 supply. These, therefore, have seldom strength 

 to return ; but, having exhausted themselves 

 in a vain pursuit after insects which are not to 

 be found, are destroyed by the owl, or any 

 other animal that follows such petty prey. 



The bat couples and brings forth in sum- 

 mer, generally from two to five at a time: of 

 this I am certain, that I have found five young 

 ones in a hole together ; but whether they 

 were the issue of one parent, I cannot tell. 

 The female has but two nipples, and those 



b British Zoology. 



