A Sixth Sense 



Every little detail is revealed with the greatest degree of 

 nicety. In like manner the bat, on going into a perfectly 

 dark cave where there is not the least suspicion of light, 

 produces certain kinds of vibrations with its wings ; these 

 vibrations or waves are sent out exactly the same as the ether 

 waves sent out by the candle. Everything in the cave is 

 struck by these waves, and everything that is struck reflects 

 back to the bat a portion of the waves that it receives exactly 

 as is the case with the light. In this manner, the bat is able 

 to move about with perfect ease exactly as a bird would do 

 if the cave were brilliantly illuminated. Of course, this system 

 of detecting objects, and of judging of their character arid size, 

 although sufficient to answer the purpose of the bat per- 

 fectly, cannot be compared at all with the waves that are 

 sent out by a candle and received by our eyes. 



It is very evident from the foregoing that bats which 

 are able to fly about in total darkness, very much as birds 

 do in daylight, do not depend upon their eyes or their ears, 

 but have some other means of detecting the presence and 

 locality, also the character, of objects that is, they have a 

 sense which is neither hearing nor seeing, and the organ of 

 this sense is situated on the face of the bat. The extra- 

 ordinary formation on the face of Blainville's Bat enables 

 this animal to fly about in absolute darkness, avoiding all 

 possible obstructions which may be placed in its path. 

 These evolutions could not be performed without the aid of 

 a sixth sense. I do not think it will be disputed that these 

 animals do have a sixth sense. 



Some small insects, such as mosquitoes, bees, and certain 

 kinds of flies, produce a musical note with their wings ; the 



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