A CONTEST WITH BATS. 55 



having one, showed it to his guest, assuring him 

 that it was so strong, that it would crawl on 

 the table with a candlestick on his back. 



" I should like to see the experiment made, 

 Mr. Audubon," De Thouville replied. 



It was accordingly done, the insect dragging 

 its burthen till, on reaching the edge of the 

 table, it dropped to the ground, and then took 

 to flight.* 



All had retired to rest, when Audubon was 

 surprised by an uproar in the naturalist's apart- 

 ment. On reaching it, to inquire the cause, what 

 was his surprise at the now still more singular 

 appearance of his guest, no longer attired in 

 costume eccentric, or otherwise. Eunning about, 

 he was engaged in a sanguinary contest with the 

 bats, which had entered by the open window — 

 his only weapon the handle of Audubon's fa- 

 vourite violin, which had been demolished in the 

 fray. Uninterrupted by the entrance of his 

 amazed visitor, he continued his extraordinary 

 gyrations. Eound and round he went, with the 

 monotony of a dervish, till so exhausted as to 

 be scarcely able to request Audubon to procure 

 one of the animals for him, as he felt convinced 

 that they belonged to a " new species." 



*See Dalton's "British Guiana," in which a similar ex- 

 periment is described. 



