134 KONDUL AND GREAT NICOBAR 



sharp claws and its suction grip on the parent's teat. When the 

 latter crawled about, the baby was supported in the membrane 

 of the wing, which bagged slightly with the weight. I should 

 imagine that it is not thoroughly weaned until the birth of a 

 fresh offspring. 



The action of these bats when climbing a vertical branch, is 

 similar to a man's in shinning up a pole. The wings are first raised 

 and a tight grip taken with the claw on the thumb, then the feet 

 are drawn up, and, after they obtain a hold, the wings are once 

 more lifted. When taking to flight, they swing to and fro once 

 or twice, and then let go in a backward direction. 



Several were obtained for specimens, and amongst them were 

 two old females, which were shot without damage to the accom- 

 panying young. These latter I afterwards attempted to rear. At 

 first they made no effort to escape, but clung tightly to the 

 mother's teat. When they arrived on board, I put them into a 

 box, fitted with a perch, from which they could suspend them- 

 selves, but I found they had barely strength to sustain their 

 position by means of the hind feet only. 



For food I gave them bananas mashed into a pulp, and a weak 

 solution of condensed milk. The former, after masticating and 

 extracting the juice, they would eject, but the milk was readily 

 lapped up, or sucked from my finger tip. 



The two did not agree well, but remained during the day in 

 opposite corners of the box. At night they were very restless 

 and noisy, continually uttering shrill cries, and often fighting. 

 When I had owned them a few days, they escaped one night 

 from their rough cage, and at daybreak were found high in the 

 r^ggi'^g- Later they escaped again and disappeared ; reaching, 

 I believe, the adjacent shore. 



After exploring the neighbourhood, we found a good patch 

 of flat jungle on the east shore of the bay, and near the sand- 

 bar across the mouth discovered a faint path leading inward. 

 Following this across some damp ground, we saw numerous 

 tracks of men and dogs, which certainly pointed to the presence 

 of Shom Pen, as the Nicobarese said they themselves never went 



