140 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



Description. — Head broad ; ears broad and naked ; incisors minute, 

 four in the upper and six in the lower jaw ; canines short, scarcely longer 

 than the molars, two in each jaw ; molars, ten in each jaw ; fur on the 

 body, and on the upper side of the interfemoral membrane black, each 

 hair tijjped with white, giving it a beautifully silvered appearance ; this 

 furnishes its name. The interfemoral membrane is naked beneath, and 

 the wings naked, except near the body beneath. Length, 2| inches, 

 ■width, 8 inches. 



V. CaroUnensis, (Geoffrey.)— Carolina Bat. — [Fig. 1.] 

 This is perhaps the most common species found in this State, and, 

 indeed, seems to be distributed very generally over the continent. At 

 sundown these bats commence war on the insects, and often are bu.«y 

 throufrhout the night. I have often caught them in dwelling-houses, and 

 kept them as pets, feeding them on insects and pieces of meat, which they 

 readily accepted. An individual which I kept several weeks, grew 

 reconciled to confinement, and seemed perfectly at ease. At night he 

 would fly about the room catching house flies, which he eat with a keen 

 relish, the noise he made in craunching them could be heard several yards. 

 At daybreak he would retire to a dark corner, sometimes suspending 

 himself by the tliumb-claws and feet, but generally by the feet alone, 

 hanging with his head down. On touching him, he would throw his 

 head back, showing his teeth, and uttering, at the same time, a peculiar 

 chattering shriek. This bat had, and I believe all bats have a disagreeable, 

 musky smell. 



The young, from one to three, are born in the summer months ; the 

 period of gestation is, I believe, unknown. As these animals build no 

 nest, the young are carried about, firmly clinging to the mother till old 

 enough to shift for themselves. I once shot an old female that had a 

 young one clinging at each teat ; they were certainly half grown. A 

 number of fine specimens furnish the following description. Head large ; 

 ears broad and long, naked, except a third of their posterior base ; 

 incisors, four in the upper and six in the lower jaw ; canines sharp and 

 powerful, two in each jaw ; molars, eight in the ujiper and ten in the 

 lower jaw ; fur brownish, black at its base, terminated on the upper side 

 of the body with brown, and on the under side with gray. The inter- 

 femoral membrane is naked, as are also the Avings, which are remarkably 

 soft and thin ; the last joint of the tail is not included in the interfemoral 

 membrane, but extends little more than an eighth of an inch beyond. 

 Length varying from o.i to 4i inches, width from 12 to 10 inches. 



V. subulatus, (Say.)— Little Brown Bat. 

 This species can hardly be confounded with any other, unless perhaps 

 the Carolina bat, which it very greatly resembles. This and indeed 



