BATS. 33 



kinds usually eat their food as they fly, but the smaller Bats rest 

 for a few moments for this purpose. The web between the legs 

 and tail (" interfemoral pouch ") is mostly used to hold their prey 

 whilst it is being eaten. It also serves to receive the newly born 

 young. 



The young Bat is born blind, but not quite naked. It at once 

 clings to its mother's fur by means of its claws, and by its teeth 

 to her nipple. Nursing mothers appear to form colonies apart 

 from the others. The growth of the young Bat is rapid and it 

 is soon fully covered with fur. Before it is a fortnight old it is 

 able to leave its mother temporarily, but it does not lead an 

 independent life until it is about two months old. Nothing 

 certain is known about the age to which a Bat attains, but it 

 appears to be about four years. 



Until the present century there was an astonishing lack of 

 knowledge of the life-histories of our native species ; but a small 

 but enthusiastic band of observers have in recent years done 

 much to make good the deficiency. In this connection the work 

 of Messrs. Alcock, Coward, Moffat,Oldham, Tomes and Whitaker 

 calls for acknowledgment. They have hunted far and wide, 

 exploring the sleeping places and hibernacula, in woods, caves, 

 roofs and belfries, and have established among other facts 

 that our Bats are more numerous in the south, becoming scarcer 

 as we go west, and that there are few species represented in the 

 fauna of Scotland. Most of the species appear to be common in 

 some one or more localities, even if rare elsewhere ; and the 

 physical features of a district have a striking influence on their 

 local abundance or scarcity, certain species being more dis- 

 criminative in this respect than others. The presence of woods, 

 water, and caves appears to be the most favourable condition 

 governing their comparative plentifulness or scarcity. 



The Bats were known generically in Anglo-Saxon times as 

 Fltttermouse and Reremouse, and these names may be met with 

 still in certain localities ; but to the general public the Bat is 



A.L. D 



