128 WHITE, OR BARN OWL, 



gray, the fur being of a reddish cream at bottom, then strongly 

 tinged with lake, and minutely tipt with white ; the ears are 

 scarcely half an inch long, with two slight valves; the nostrils 

 are somewhat tubular; fore teeth in the upper jaw, none in 

 the lower, four, not reckoning the tusks; the eyes are very 

 small black points; the chin, upper part of the breast and head, 

 are of a plain reddish cream colour; the wings have a single 

 hook or claw each, and are so constructed, that the animal may 

 hang either with its head or tail downward. I have several 

 times found two hanging fast locked together behind a leaf, the 

 hook of one fixed in the mouth of the other; the hind feet are 

 furnished with five toes, sharp-clawed; the membrane of the 

 wings is dusky, shafts light brown; extent twelve inches. In a 

 cave, not far from Carlisle in Pennsylvania, I found a number 

 of these bats in the depth of winter, in very severe weather; 

 they were lying on the projecting shelves of the rocks, and 

 when the brand of fire was held near them, wrinkled up their 

 mouths, showing their teeth; when held in the hand for a short 

 time, they became active, and after being carried into a stove 

 room, flew about as lively as ever. * 



* This species Dr. Godman calls the Vesjierlilio novcboracensis of Linnaeus. 

 See his American Natural History, vol. i, p. 48. Wilson, it should seem, was 

 of a different opinion. 



