CHAPTER VI 

 ORDER OF BATS 



CHIROPTERA 



THE strange wing-handed, flying mammals composing 

 this Order exhibit differences in form that are fairly 

 bewildering. They range all the way from the beautiful to 

 the fantastic and the hideous, and some of them are well 

 worthy of study. 



The great majority of bats are useful to man in destroy- 

 ing the insects which, were it not for the birds and beasts, 

 would very soon overwhelm him. The harmful species are 

 those which destroy fruit and a few which suck the blood of 

 domestic animals. 



Owing to certain natural conditions, the members of the 

 Bat Order as a whole are almost as little known as the whales 

 and porpoises of the deep sea. Our lack of acquaintance with 

 bats is due chiefly to their nocturnal habits, and the conse- 

 quent difficulty in observing them. To-day bats are so little 

 known that there are perhaps a million persons who only 

 know that they fly at night, and are "awful things to get 

 into your hair." 



I have seen thousands of bats, flying in many different 

 places, but never yet saw one alight upon a woman's hair; 

 and I believe they are no more given to doing so than are 



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