158 TYPES OF ANIMAL LIFE 



trelle, which is also found throughout the whole of the 

 northern regions of the Old World, including northern 

 Africa. It is the first to make its appearance in England 

 in the spring. Bats, like dormice, when winter approaches 

 fall into a peculiar state of winter sleep, called hiberna- 

 tion. For this purpose they generally assemble together 

 in large numbers, in out-of-the-way places, caverns, 

 hollow trees, the inside of church towers, or within the 

 roofs of outhouses, hanging head downward by the claws 

 of their feet. During this condition the most important 

 functions of life — breathing and the circulation of the 

 blood — go on very slowly indeed, while the temperature 

 of the body becomes notably diminished. From this 

 dormant condition the pipistrelle usually rouses itself by 

 the middle of March or soon after, and has been known 

 even to shake ofi' its slumbers and flit about in the middle 

 of a bright, sunny but frosty day just before Christmas. 



Its food consists specially of gnats, and as those animals 

 often dance in the sunbeams of a winter's day in England, 

 it is easy to understand that this little bat may then go 

 after them. But it will eat various other insects, and 

 even flesh, and it has been caught in a larder while 

 making a hearty meal from a piece of meat to which it 

 was clinging. 



In confinement it has also been observed to strike 

 down a fly ^^^th its wings and then prostrate itself over 

 it, stretching out all its membranes to prevent the fly's 

 escape, while it thrust down its head between its arms 

 and secured it. 



Most bats, save flying foxes, are well fitted for such 

 food, as their grinding teeth bristle with sharp points 

 most excellently fitted to crack the hard but lirittle case 

 which encloses an insect's bod}^ 



The flight of the pipistrelle is quick and flitting, and 



