NATURAL HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA 



of a thin but strong dark membrane. When flying 

 this is spread and held out by means of what were 

 once five toes or fingers. Four of these can easily 

 be seen in the membrane of the wing. The fifth, or 

 thumb, sticks out at right angles, and is only attached 

 at one end. The tip is armed with a hook or nail, 

 and is used by the bat to suspend its body when 

 desiring to rest, as well as an aid in climbing. The 

 back legs are small and serve as a back attachment 

 for the membranes of the wings. They too have 

 clawswhich are used ashands for gripping twigs, &c., 

 when the bat is resting, and in grasping fruit which 

 the bat desires to devour. 



There are two great groups of bats. They are 

 known as the Fruit Bats and the Insectivorous Bats. 

 The Fruit Bats are different in appearance to those 

 of the other group, and although there are scores of 

 different kinds or species, yet if one only is carefully 

 examined and compared with an Insectivorous Bat, 

 it is sufficient to enable the student to at once dis- 

 tinguish Fruit Bats from those of the other kind. 



Fruit Bats are large in size, their heads are dog- 

 shaped, the wings, ears, and tail are different to the 

 insectivorous group. The crowns of their molar 

 teeth are smooth, or nearly so, whereas those of the 

 insect-eating bats have points or cusps. The end 

 of the second finger, as well as the first, is usually 

 provided with a claw. On the contrary, Insectiv- 

 orous Bats only have one claw or nail, which is on 

 the thumb. 



82 



