BATS 



(twelve species), the Hedgehog, Mole, Shrews (three 



species), Wild Cat, Fox, Pine -Marten, Polecat, Stoat, 



Weasel, Badger, Otter, Squirrel, Mice (five species). 



Black and Brown Rat, Voles (three species), Common 



and Mountain Hare, Rabbit, Red Deer, Fallow Deer, 



and Roe Deer. Ireland has only six species of Bats, 



and lacks the Mole, Common and Water Shrew, Wild 



Cat, Polecat, Weasel, Dormouse and Harvest Mouse, 



the Voles, the Common Hare, and the Roe Deer. The 



Wild Cat is now on the verge of extinction, and the 



Pine-Marten and Polecat are equally rare." 



Coming directly to those weird flying mammals, the 



Bats, it is astonishing to notice the ignorance which still 



prevails concerning them ; and even in country districts, 



where the average person of intelligence should be 



acauainted with them, we have often heard the most 



extravagant notions expressed as to the life and habits of 



these haunters of the silences. That Bats produce their 



young alive, and suckle their young, deserves emphasis 



thus early in our story. Being, as a general rule, creatures 



of the night, living exclusively upon an insect diet, 



consisting of beetles, moths, and other insects which 



are captured on the wing, and mostly hiding their sombre 



forms in barns, church-towers, ruins, caves, quarries, 



hollow trees and other retreats by day, small wonder 



need be expressed at the amount of ignorance that is still 



rife. There is, too, an existent prejudice associated with 



these " Flitter Mice," as the country people call them, 



which, as with Snakes, Lizards, Earthworms, Centipedes, 



15 



